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
But the real draw of military watches—or mils spec watches—is one that’s harder for many collectors to own up to.
—
Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 14 May 2024
One person can own up to four-eighths, or 50%, of the home, or as little as 1/8 or 12.5% of the home.
—Jane Thier, Fortune, 6 May 2024
Balancing innovation with ethics But incumbent leaders in the industry are still wary about owning up to experiments with AI, and for good reason.
—Molly Flatt, Fortune Europe, 17 Apr. 2024
But in an on-camera interview, Brittany owned up to feeling a bit worried about her son.
—Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Accountability Perhaps one of the toughest tasks a leader is faced with in their career is that of owning up to mistakes—a quality associated with emotional intelligence.
—Rachel Wells, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
This willingness to own up to mistakes creates an atmosphere of honesty and accountability, which is essential for maintaining healthy interpersonal dynamics.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Post-transition, however, Sante owns up to missing the invisibility of maleness, whether walking down the street late at night or having an identity as a writer that is read as neutral.
—Emily Witt, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2024
Lauren actually owned up to being the one to say it.
—Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 14 May 2024
One person can own up to four-eighths, or 50%, of the home, or as little as 1/8 or 12.5% of the home.
—Jane Thier, Fortune, 6 May 2024
Balancing innovation with ethics But incumbent leaders in the industry are still wary about owning up to experiments with AI, and for good reason.
—Molly Flatt, Fortune Europe, 17 Apr. 2024
But in an on-camera interview, Brittany owned up to feeling a bit worried about her son.
—Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Accountability Perhaps one of the toughest tasks a leader is faced with in their career is that of owning up to mistakes—a quality associated with emotional intelligence.
—Rachel Wells, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
This willingness to own up to mistakes creates an atmosphere of honesty and accountability, which is essential for maintaining healthy interpersonal dynamics.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Post-transition, however, Sante owns up to missing the invisibility of maleness, whether walking down the street late at night or having an identity as a writer that is read as neutral.
—Emily Witt, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2024
Lauren actually owned up to being the one to say it.
—Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 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 19 May. 2024.
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