confess
Translation
to confess, to admit, to own up
Examples
He confessed his crime to the police.
He confessed his crime to the police.
I confess that I ate the last cookie.
I confess that I ate the last cookie.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) ((to sb.)) to admit sth. to sb. He confessed his crime to the police.
((that ...)) to admit that... I confess that I ate the last cookie.
((to -ing)) to admit to doing sth. He confessed to stealing the car.
Similar Words
Synonyms: admit, own up, acknowledge; Antonyms: deny, conceal
Etymology
From Latin 'con-' (altogether) + 'fateri' (to acknowledge). To acknowledge something fully.
Memory Tips
Think of the common phrase 'fess up'. 'Confess' is a more formal way of saying this, with 'con-' meaning 'completely'.