own up

admit that you did something wrong

B2

What does "own up to sth" mean?

To own up to something means to admit that you did something wrong and take personal responsibility for it. It goes beyond simply acknowledging a fact — it implies a degree of moral courage, because the person is accepting blame that they could have avoided or hidden. You might own up to a mistake at work, own up to lying to a friend, or own up to breaking something. The phrase often appears in situations where there is pressure or temptation to stay silent, which is why it frequently comes with words like 'finally' or 'eventually'. It is neutral in style and works in most everyday situations, though it is slightly more common in British English than American English.

Examples

How to use it

own up to + noun (wrongdoing)

Used when naming the specific mistake, crime, or fault being admitted to.

The employee owned up to the error as soon as the manager asked what had happened.

own up to + gerund (verb + -ing)

Used when describing the specific action that was wrong — the object of 'to' must be a gerund, not an infinitive.

She owned up to copying her colleague's report without asking permission.

own up to + it / them

A pronoun replaces the named wrongdoing and always comes after 'to', never anywhere else in the phrase.

Everyone knew he had made the mistake, but he refused to own up to it.

finally / eventually / never + own up to

Adverbs indicating reluctance or delay are very commonly used with this phrasal verb.

She finally owned up to her role in the mix-up after days of saying nothing.

refuse / need / want + to own up to

The infinitive form is commonly used after modal-style expressions and reporting verbs.

He needs to own up to what he did before the situation gets any worse.

Common Collocations

own up to a mistakeown up to itown up to lyingown up to a crimeown up to your actionsfinally own up to

Common Mistakes

Infinitive instead of gerund after 'to'

After 'own up to', any verb must be in the -ing form (gerund), not the infinitive. This is a very common error because learners associate 'to' with the infinitive.

✗ He owned up to take the money from the till.
✓ He owned up to taking the money from the till.
Splitting the phrasal verb

'Own up to' is a fixed three-part unit. Nothing should be inserted between 'own', 'up', and 'to' — the object always comes after 'to'.

✗ She owned up her mistake to the whole team.
✓ She owned up to her mistake in front of the whole team.
Confusing 'own up to' with 'admit to'

'Own up to' and 'admit to' are close in meaning, but 'own up to' carries a stronger sense of personal moral accountability and is slightly informal. In formal or legal writing, 'admit to' is the safer choice.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral in register and slightly more common in British English than American English. Use 'own up' (without 'to') when the wrongdoing is already clear from context — it's a natural and very common short form.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use 'own up to' in the continuous tense, like 'he is owning up to it'?

This sounds unnatural and should be avoided. 'Own up to' describes a moment of admission rather than an ongoing action, so the continuous form doesn't fit well. Stick to forms like the past simple ('he owned up to it'), the present perfect ('she has owned up to it'), or the infinitive ('they need to own up to it').

What's the difference between 'own up to' and just 'own up'?

'Own up' on its own is a natural short form used when the wrongdoing is already understood from the situation. 'Own up to' is followed by the specific thing being admitted — a noun or a gerund. For example, you might say 'Come on, own up!' to urge someone to confess, but 'He eventually owned up to stealing the cash' when naming the act.

Is 'own up to' a British expression? Would Americans use something different?

'Own up to' is used in both British and American English, but it is somewhat more common and idiomatic in British English. American speakers might more often say 'admit to' or the informal 'fess up to' in the same situations. 'Own up to' will be understood everywhere, though.

What kinds of things can follow 'own up to'?

The object of 'own up to' is usually either a noun naming a wrongdoing (a mistake, a crime, a blunder, your actions) or a gerund phrase describing what you did (lying, cheating, breaking something, causing damage). Both patterns are very common and natural.

Can 'own up to' be used in the passive, like 'the mistake was owned up to'?

No — 'own up to' cannot be used in the passive. The subject of the sentence is always the person doing the admitting, not the thing they admitted. If you want to focus on the wrongdoing itself, you would need to restructure the sentence entirely, for example: 'No one admitted to the mistake.'

Ready to practise?

Practise 1,000+ English phrasal verbs with interactive gap-fill exercises.

Start Practising →