Own up to: meaning, definitions and examples

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own up to

 

[ əʊn ʌp tuː ]

Phrasal verb
Context #1 | Phrasal verb

confess mistake

Admit or acknowledge something, especially something embarrassing or inconvenient.

Synonyms

acknowledge, admit, come clean, confess

Examples of usage

  • He finally owned up to eating the last piece of cake.
  • She owned up to her mistake and apologized to her boss.
  • Don't be afraid to own up to your errors, everyone makes mistakes.
  • I wish he would just own up to what he did and stop lying about it.
  • It's important to own up to your actions and take responsibility for them.

Translations

Translations of the word "own up to" in other languages:

🇵🇹 admitir

🇮🇳 स्वीकार करना

🇩🇪 zugeben

🇮🇩 mengakui

🇺🇦 визнати

🇵🇱 przyznać się

🇯🇵 認める (みとめる)

🇫🇷 admettre

🇪🇸 admitir

🇹🇷 kabul etmek

🇰🇷 인정하다

🇸🇦 اعترف

🇨🇿 přiznat

🇸🇰 priznať

🇨🇳 承认 (chéngrèn)

🇸🇮 priznati

🇮🇸 viðurkenna

🇰🇿 мойындау

🇬🇪 აღიარება

🇦🇿 etiraf etmək

🇲🇽 admitir

Etymology

The expression 'own up to' originated in the late 19th century and is a combination of the words 'own' and 'up'. It gained popularity as a way to encourage honesty and accountability by admitting to mistakes or faults. Over time, it has become a commonly used phrasal verb in informal conversations and formal contexts alike.