has acknowledged to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "has acknowledged to" is not correct in standard written English.
It is typically used incorrectly; the correct form would be "has acknowledged" followed by the object of acknowledgment, without "to." Example: "She has acknowledged her mistake."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

27 human-written examples

As the story ends, he and the housekeeper are enjoying their time together, but he has acknowledged to himself that it will be brief.

The New Yorker

Rodriguez, in turn, has acknowledged to investigators for Major League Baseball that Galea treated him, but he also said he did not use banned substances.

The New York Times - Sports

How do you make yourself valuable?" Mr. Ovitz has acknowledged to friends that since Ms. Tarses has moved in, he has scaled back his involvement.

The New York Times

WASHINGTON, May 18 The Defense Department has acknowledged to Congress that the Air Force and Navy participated in extensive rain‐making operations in Southeast Asia.

The New York Times

The disclosures helped fan the controversy over what the White House has acknowledged to be the improper use of political e-mail accounts to conduct official government business.

The Washington Post

She noted that Mr. Skakel "has acknowledged to at least two individuals that he was at the scene where the body was found".

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

33 human-written examples

"And then, as time evolved, as I've acknowledged to you, 'Bad Mark' came into place".

The New York Times

And the stores have acknowledged, to varying degrees, that their products need work.

The Washington Post

Police Scotland has acknowledged benefits to the wider community.

The Guardian

Turkey has acknowledged dealings to free forty-nine diplomand and their families taken by ISIS last June.

The New Yorker

In Africa, one in four men has acknowledged themselves to be perpetrators.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "has acknowledged to". The correct and more concise phrasing is "has acknowledged" followed directly by what was acknowledged.

Common error

The preposition "to" is unnecessary after "acknowledged". Using it creates a grammatically incorrect construction. Always follow "has acknowledged" with the object of acknowledgment.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "has acknowledged to" functions as a present perfect verb phrase intended to indicate that someone has recognized or admitted something. However, it is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided, as noted by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Science

8%

Formal & Business

7%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "has acknowledged to" appears in some sources, it is considered grammatically incorrect in standard written English. Ludwig AI points out that the correct phrasing is "has acknowledged", followed by the object of acknowledgment. The phrase is intended to convey recognition or admission, but its incorrectness detracts from its effectiveness. It is generally advisable to use alternatives like "has admitted" or "has recognized" to maintain grammatical correctness and clarity. The most frequent contexts where this expression appears are news and media, but despite this frequent usage, it remains an error.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

has admitted

Focuses on confessing or owning up to something, highlighting acceptance of responsibility.

has recognized

Emphasizes awareness and acceptance of a fact or situation.

has confirmed

Highlights the act of verifying or establishing the truth of something.

has conceded

Suggests reluctantly admitting something, often in the face of opposition.

has confessed

Implies a formal or serious admission of wrongdoing or truth.

has avowed

Focuses on declaring something openly and frankly.

has owned up to

Informal way of saying someone has taken responsibility for something.

has declared

Highlights a formal or official announcement of something.

has attested to

Emphasizes providing evidence or confirmation of something.

has borne witness to

Focuses on firsthand observation and subsequent confirmation.

FAQs

What is the correct way to use "acknowledged" in a sentence?

The correct way is to use "has acknowledged" followed by the object of acknowledgment. For example, "She has acknowledged her mistake" is correct, while "She has acknowledged to her mistake" is incorrect.

What can I say instead of "has acknowledged to"?

You can use alternatives like "has admitted", "has recognized", or "has confirmed" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "has acknowledged to" or "has acknowledged"?

"Has acknowledged" is correct. "Has acknowledged to" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided.

What's the difference between "has acknowledged" and "has admitted"?

While both imply acceptance of something, "has acknowledged" often refers to recognizing a fact or situation, whereas "has admitted" often implies confessing to something, possibly wrong doing.