admit

verb

əd-ˈmit How to pronounce admit (audio)
Definition of admitnext
1
as in to confess
to accept the truth or existence of (something) usually reluctantly the host of the talk show eventually admitted that she hadn't actually read the book you can't bring yourself to admit your mistakes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to receive
to offer entrance (as to a place, school, or privilege) to she was admitted to Harvard

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to own (up)
to make an acknowledgment of something unpleasant as true or valid I admit to some suspicions about the new neighbors

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb admit contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of admit are acknowledge, avow, confess, and own. While all these words mean "to disclose against one's will or inclination," admit implies reluctance to disclose, grant, or concede and refers usually to facts rather than their implications.

admitted the project was over budget

When would acknowledge be a good substitute for admit?

The words acknowledge and admit can be used in similar contexts, but acknowledge implies the disclosing of something that has been or might be concealed.

acknowledged an earlier peccadillo

When can avow be used instead of admit?

The words avow and admit are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, avow implies boldly declaring, often in the face of hostility, what one might be expected to be silent about.

avowed that he was a revolutionary

Where would confess be a reasonable alternative to admit?

While the synonyms confess and admit are close in meaning, confess may apply to an admission of a weakness, failure, omission, or guilt.

confessed a weakness for sweets

When is it sensible to use own instead of admit?

In some situations, the words own and admit are roughly equivalent. However, own implies acknowledging something in close relation to oneself.

must own I know little about computers

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of admit Rory McIlroy admitted in his post-final round interview with reporters that dropping to his knees after watching his playoff birdie putt sink to win the 89th Masters tournament was pure relief. —Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2025 Is this morally corrupt crowd determined to ignore constitutional obligations rather than ever admit a mistake? —Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025 Author Jan Karon is shy to admit that her fictional town of Mitford is based on Blowing Rock, North Carolina, but residents are convinced of the fact. —Leigh Ann Henion, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2025 Still, Wolfhard — whose new film Hell of a Summer is in theaters now, and upcoming feature, The Legend of Ochi, will hit theaters on April 25 — admits that making mistakes, and learning from them, is all a part of being human. —Nicholas Rice, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for admit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for admit
  1. confess
  2. receive
  3. concede
  4. acknowledge
  5. agree
Verb
  • Brian Tyree Henry confessed to breaking his own cardinal rule of not returning to television in order to star in Apple TV+’s crime drama Dope Thief.
    — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Ninety percent of British women and nonbinary people polled in 2020 confessed to sometimes using filters before posting selfies, and 85 percent to using external editing software such as FaceTune to tweak pictures of themselves.
    — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2025
Definition of confess
Verb
  • Set to take place on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at 10 a.m. on The Yard, the 68-year-old will serve as the Commencement orator and also receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
    — DeMicia Inman, VIBE.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Although charges made before a new credit card is received are rarely due to mail theft, this type of traditional fraud still poses a risk.
    — Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of receive
Verb
  • His interrogator conceded that the police must have gotten the wrong guy and released him within weeks.
    — Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Deputy Latah County Prosecutor Ashley Jennings also flat out denied Taylor's accusations that prosecutors were slow-walking discovery and said everything the defense has asked for has been provided, a point that Taylor conceded in front of the judge.
    — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of concede
Verb
  • This could signal a more calculated, region-specific approach — one that acknowledges price sensitivity in certain segments and the importance of maintaining U.S. market share.
    — Esat Dedezade, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The sheriff of Island County, Mark Brown, apologized to Fred and acknowledged, in a public report, that his own staff was responsible.
    — Sarah Stillman, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of acknowledge
Verb
  • In an exciting Instagram post on Wednesday (April 9), the West Coast icon and league owner revealed that the eight-time NBA All-Star has agreed to join the BIG3 league for one final season as a professional basketball player.
    — Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • From there, the brothers rope in a boozy harmonica virtuoso named Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo), who only accepts the gig after the brothers agree to pay him in Irish beer.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of agree

Phrases Containing admit

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Cite this Entry

“Admit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/admit. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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