own up
This page is about the phrasal verb own up
Meaning
If you own up to something, you admit that you've done something wrong or made a mistake.
Synonym
admit, confess, fess up (informal)
For example
- own up We were pretty sure Sam was the one who'd been stealing money from our company, but he wouldn't own up. He kept saying it wasn't him.
- own up to sth Politicians don't usually own up to their mistakes and misjudgments, let alone their crimes against humanity.
- own up to doing sth Our son owned up to taking money from his mother's purse after we found him looking through her bag again.
Nouns often used as objects with own up: to stealing, cheating, lying :to fraud, theft, crime, mistake, error, dishonesty
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Contributor: Matt Errey