ENGLISH
REFERENCE

confessing

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //kənˈfɛsɪŋ// UK //kənfˈɛsɪŋ// con·fess·ing

v. to admit that you have done something wrong, illegal, or embarrassing. You use this when you finally tell the truth about a secret.

v. to admit or acknowledge a crime, fault, or private thought. Often used with the preposition 'to' or followed by a 'that' clause.


SIMPLE

He is confessing to the crime right now.

CONTEXTUAL

After hours of questioning, the suspect is finally confessing to his role in the robbery.

COMPLEX

The protagonist spends the final chapter confessing his deepest regrets to a stranger, seeking a sense of absolution that his own family could never provide.

Synonyms
Usage

The verb is often followed by the preposition 'to' plus a gerund or noun phrase, or by a 'that' clause.

Pitfall

He is confessing the crime to the police.He is confessing to the crime.When admitting to a specific act or crime, the verb usually requires the preposition 'to' before the noun phrase.

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