owns (up)

present tense third-person singular of own (up)
as in confesses
to make an acknowledgment of something unpleasant as true or valid had a strong suspicion about which coworker stole her food from the office fridge, but the likely culprit refused to own up

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for owns (up)
Verb
  • Thankfully, as Hank sleepily confesses, James got away.
    Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2025
  • After Tom shares the analogy of the bird that can’t find its way home with Robbie (Tom Pelphrey), the on-the-run thief confesses to seeing himself in the bird.
    Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Not our favorite of the breakfast meats, the poster admits, but not past its expiration date.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Peppe admits more precise dating of dinosaur fossils found elsewhere, especially in Europe and Asia, is needed to reach any firm conclusion.
    DINO GRANDONI THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Owns (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/owns%20%28up%29. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

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