fess up
Definition
Verb: - To confess or admit to having done something wrong or made an error. It implies taking personal responsibility for a fault or misdeed.
Usage
This verb is used when someone openly states that they are responsible for a mistake, a lie, or a wrongdoing. It is often used in informal contexts and carries a sense of finally telling the truth after possibly having hidden it.
Examples
- After hours of questioning, the suspect finally fessed up to the crime.
- You need to fess up if you broke the vase; it's the right thing to do.
- I knew he was lying, so I told him to just fess up and tell us what really happened.
Advanced Usage
- "to fess up to (something)": This is the most common construction, specifying the particular wrongdoing being admitted.
- He eventually fessed up to stealing the cookies from the jar.
Variants and Related Words
- Confess (verb): A more formal synonym for admitting guilt or sin.
- Own up (verb): A very close synonym, meaning to admit responsibility. (e.g., )
- Come clean (verb phrase): An informal idiom meaning to finally tell the truth about something one has been hiding.
Synonyms
- Admit
- Confess
- Own up
- Come clean
- Acknowledge
Related Phrasal Verbs / Idioms
- Come clean (about something): To finally tell the complete truth about a secret or wrongdoing.
- It's time to come clean about where you were last night.
Verb
-
admit or acknowledge a wrongdoing or error
-
the writer of the anonymous letter owned up after they identified his handwriting
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