own up

phrasal-verb
UK: /ˌəʊn ˈʌp/
US: /ˌoʊn ˈʌp/

  1. To admit that you have done something wrong or something that you are ashamed of.

    1. I had to own up to breaking the window because my mom asked me.
    2. He should own up to his mistakes instead of blaming other people all the time.

  2. To confess or acknowledge responsibility for something, even if it is unpleasant.

    1. She didn't own up to lying about her age, it was a secret.
    2. The company had to own up to the data breach and inform all its customers quickly.

Synonyms

confess admit acknowledge fess up

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "own up" in English means: To admit that you have done something wrong or something that you are ashamed of., To confess or acknowledge responsibility for something, even if it is unpleasant..

The phonetic transcription of "own up" is /ˌəʊn ˈʌp/ in British English and /ˌoʊn ˈʌp/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "own up": confess, admit, acknowledge, fess up.

Example usage of "own up": "I had to own up to breaking the window because my mom asked me.". More examples on the page.