own up
phrasal verb
owned up; owning up; owns up
: to admit that one has done a usually bad thing : to confess to something
I know he broke the window, but so far, he hasn't owned up.
—usually + toI'm waiting for him to own up to it.
Examples of own up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Taylor agrees that white supremacy runs through Palm Springs’s history and that white residents today must be willing to own up to that legacy.
—
Tyrone Beason, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2024
Keep said he was suspended at Moscow (Idaho) High School after breaking a backboard and not initially owning up to it.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2024
At least Plane Jane owns up to being a mean girl, and there’s something to be said for self-awareness.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 22 Mar. 2024
The Okaloosa Sheriff's Department needs to own up to this.
—Jonathan Franklin, NPR, 31 May 2024
Bennett owned up to that mistake at the NFL combine, then went on to be selected by the Rams that April.
—Adam Grosbard, Orange County Register, 28 May 2024
Sean 'Diddy' Combs owned up to violentassault of Cassie caught on video.
—Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 21 May 2024
After that one, Busch promptly went over his radio and owned up to his mistake afterward.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 20 May 2024
Hoda Kotb is owning up to needing some alone time from her girls.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 16 May 2024
Tyrone Beason, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2024
Keep said he was suspended at Moscow (Idaho) High School after breaking a backboard and not initially owning up to it.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2024
At least Plane Jane owns up to being a mean girl, and there’s something to be said for self-awareness.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 22 Mar. 2024
The Okaloosa Sheriff's Department needs to own up to this.
—Jonathan Franklin, NPR, 31 May 2024
Bennett owned up to that mistake at the NFL combine, then went on to be selected by the Rams that April.
—Adam Grosbard, Orange County Register, 28 May 2024
Sean 'Diddy' Combs owned up to violentassault of Cassie caught on video.
—Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 21 May 2024
After that one, Busch promptly went over his radio and owned up to his mistake afterward.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 20 May 2024
Hoda Kotb is owning up to needing some alone time from her girls.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 16 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'own up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near own up
Cite this Entry
“Own up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/own%20up. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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