ENGLISH
REFERENCE

confesses

v.
B1 Intermediate US //kənˈfɛsɪz// UK //kənfˈɛsɪz// con·fess·es

v. to admit that you have done something wrong, illegal, or embarrassing.

v. to admit or acknowledge a crime, fault, or private thought. Often implies a formal statement to authorities or a personal disclosure of a secret.


SIMPLE

He confesses his mistakes to his manager.

CONTEXTUAL

The suspect eventually confesses to the crime after hours of questioning by the detectives.

COMPLEX

In her latest memoir, the author confesses that she struggled with severe stage fright throughout the most successful years of her career.

Synonyms
Usage

Often takes the preposition 'to' before a noun or gerund; can also be followed by a 'that' clause.

Pitfall

He confesses the crime to the policeHe confesses to the crimeWhen admitting to an action or crime, the verb usually requires the preposition 'to' before the noun.

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