How to Use own up in a Sentence

own up

verb
  • It can be used for babies who can sit up on their own up through preschool.
    — Anja Webb, Parents, 28 Nov. 2025
  • His former owner will not own up to the truth.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025
  • And every member owned up to having to gotten gum stuck in their hair and needing to cut it out at some point.
    — Mackenzie Schmidt, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
  • The flies can move on their own up to 12 miles a day, but the biggest spread risk comes from trucking cattle across states.
    — Clara Migoya, AZCentral.com, 23 Sep. 2025
  • You might be asked to step up, own up to a mistake or take the lead in a way that feels more intimidating than usual.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
  • After Tuesday’s game, Falter owned up to his struggles.
    — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026
  • The singer reflected on how her family hasn’t owned up to their part in her conservatorship.
    — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 5 Feb. 2026
  • After a week of making headlines for all the wrong reasons, Snoop Dogg is owning up to his mistake.
    — Shania Russell, EW.com, 31 Aug. 2025
  • The city of Hastings allows residents to own up to six backyard chickens or ducks and up to 10 quail.
    — Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2026
  • When The View returned, Goldberg addressed the nation and owned up to her mistake.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Feb. 2026
  • Whether financial or professional, something is nudging at you, reminding you to own up to your sense of self-worth.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
  • Ned owned up to the affair after several people on social media shared photos and videos of him and the employee.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Now California is owning up to its deplorable practices.
    — San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Feb. 2022
  • In parenting, those repairs can strengthen the parent-child bond and give your child a model for how to own up to their own mistakes, said Kennedy.
    — Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Kudos to the Department of Justice for finally owning up to the lie.
    — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Movie night is a chance for the Islanders to gather together to witness some of the major moments and own up and apologize.
    — Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 29 May 2026
  • Individual funds can only own up to 20% of a single franchise.
    — Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 17 Dec. 2025
  • Contestants are on their own up until the live rounds (or the Top 14), then production steps in with a styling team, per Mays.
    — Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
  • According to the city of Woodbury, residents with lots smaller than 4 acres can own up to six hens, and those with 4 acres or more can own up to two hens per acre.
    — Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2026
  • December’s astrology is about being honest with yourself, and finally owning up to what your heart truly wants.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
  • Her music owned up to being horny, garish, and superficial, but could scan as thin or cheap when held up to other kinds of ethical or political scrutiny.
    — Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 2 June 2026
  • While the 31-year-old driver owned up to his mistake, his spotter, Freddie Kraft, blamed Kyle Larson for the hit.
    — Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Google did not own up to being behind the project even after a public records request revealed its name in a back-and-forth conversation between city planners and the tech company's lawyer.
    — Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 21 Aug. 2025
  • Oddly, Southern states have lately been the most active in owning up to their educational deficiencies.
    — Dan Walters, Oc Register, 26 Feb. 2026
  • On what makes this team A team that shows up every day with the correct mentality, works really hard, doesn’t make excuses, owns up to mistakes and continues to get better.
    — Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026
  • Most notably however, the NBA allows institutional funds to own up to 30% of a team and the lead owner only has to buy 15% of the equity.
    — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Smith’s participation in this crime is inexcusable, but Smith owned up to his crime, told the truth in court despite fear of retribution and threats, and has now accepted responsibility and received this long prison sentence.
    — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2026
  • Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly owned up to key mistakes in his side’s World Cup group-stage loss to Norway yesterday that left the African side in danger of early elimination.
    — Monica Alba, NBC news, 24 June 2026
  • Amid the heartbreak and some frustration, Carroll head coach Riley Dodge congratulated DeSoto, and the Dragons took the loss on the chin, owning up to their mistakes.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Dec. 2025
  • San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh owned up to his part in a post-game confrontation with Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen on Sunday.
    — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2025

Some of 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.

Last Updated: