as in to speak out
to voice one's opinions freely with force
she's never been afraid to speak up at town meetings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of speak up
Through musical expression, our chorus members stand taller, speak up more, and take the stage as themselves.
—
Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
And he’s been attempting to usher in a new style of leadership by committee in Denver’s huddles and film sessions throughout the last month, willingly ceding the floor at times to encourage players to speak up more.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 22 May 2025
The president’s late-night social-media call for a criminal investigation followed news that Springsteen had spoken against administration policies at a second concert Saturday, after the rocker had come under attack from the president for speaking up at a previous show.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 19 May 2025
The Aquarius moon may test you to speak up about your values.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for speak up
Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
And he’s been attempting to usher in a new style of leadership by committee in Denver’s huddles and film sessions throughout the last month, willingly ceding the floor at times to encourage players to speak up more.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 22 May 2025
The president’s late-night social-media call for a criminal investigation followed news that Springsteen had spoken against administration policies at a second concert Saturday, after the rocker had come under attack from the president for speaking up at a previous show.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 19 May 2025
The Aquarius moon may test you to speak up about your values.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for speak up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speak up
Verb
-
Harsh national policies lead to imprisonment and deportation for those caught speaking out.—
Lorraine Berry,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
-
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the United States, which has taken a softer public line on Russia and its leader, Vladimir Putin, since President Donald Trump took office, to speak out.—
Reuters,
FOXNews.com,
26 May 2025
Verb
-
Shoppers drag pushcarts through dozens of fruit and vegetable stalls as vendors shout prices on loop, in a rhythm.—
Lily Radziemski,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
-
Passengers allegedly held onto the ride’s safety bars and shouted for help as many reported feeling dizzy, dehydrated, and increasingly panicked as the minutes turned into hours.—
Moná Thomas,
People.com,
28 May 2025
Verb
-
Bruce is crate-trained, goes in willingly at bedtime and doesn’t bark or cry.—
Trish Stinger,
Kansas City Star,
28 May 2025
-
Randall cries, rushing to discover Bernie collapsed on the floor in the next room.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
28 May 2025
Verb
-
Documents distributed by Qatari foreign agents working for Venable, for instance, talk up what Qatar views as the positive effects of investments made by its sovereign wealth fund while downplaying the Gulf nation’s links to terrorist organizations.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
25 May 2025
-
And by talking up the return of factory jobs to America, Mr. Trump directly addresses what four decades of free-trade policies and globalization made worse: the hollowing out of America’s middle class.—
Laurent Belsie,
Christian Science Monitor,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Related Stories Man Attacked by Shark at Popular Seaside Jetty Woman Killed in Florida Alligator Attack That Husband Tried to Fight Off After attempting to yell at the coyote to scare it off, the coyote continued to bite him.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
20 May 2025
-
About 30 minutes later, Combs arrived, yelling and banging on the door with a hammer, Morgan testified.—
Nicki Brown,
CNN Money,
19 May 2025
Verb
-
Everyone is talking and Kamilla is trying to pipe up and even has to raise her hand to get heard.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
22 May 2025
-
But moments after the judge accepted the stipulation signed by the lawyers and set the trial for damages only for May 27, Knight piped up on his remote connection, a source tells Rolling Stone.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
His on-screen style was smooth and, ironically, given the way his BBC career has ended, uncontroversial, preferring to let his pundits sound off on the game’s big issues.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
-
His turkey had indeed sounded off just after daylight, but had moved sometime during the night.—
Thomas Weddle,
Outdoor Life,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Speak up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speak%20up. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share