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speak·ing | \ ˈspē-kiŋ 
\
\Definition of speaking
1a : that speaks : capable of speech
b : having a population that speaks a specified language
—usually used in combinationEnglish-speaking countries
c : that involves talking or giving speeches
a speaking role a speaking tour
2 : highly significant or expressive : eloquent
3 : resembling a living being or a real object
Examples of speaking in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web That includes speaking time, the length of pauses between speakers, the frequency of questions and the amount of overlapping talk.
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New York Times, "It’s Not Just You: In Online Meetings, Many Women Can’t Get a Word In," 14 Apr. 2020 The White House’s press briefings are full of executives from companies like Walmart and underwear manufacturer Jockey International Inc, who often get even more speaking time than the medical professionals on the White House virus task force.
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Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, The New Republic, "Corporations Are Salivating Over the Coronavirus Pandemic," 3 Apr. 2020 Lizzie Williamson, a 31-year-old who drove up from North Easton, Mass., to knock on doors for Ms. Warren, had watched the debate and was frustrated with how little speaking time Ms. Warren received.
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New York Times, "They’ve Both ‘Won Every Race’ So Far, and Want a Win in New Hampshire," 8 Feb. 2020 In last night’s Democratic debate, of the six presidential candidates onstage, the two women had the most speaking time.
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Jameelah Nasheed, Teen Vogue, "Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar Had the Most Speaking Time at the Democratic Debate," 20 Feb. 2020 During Friday's Democratic debate, many critics noted the relatively short speaking time given to Warren in comparison with her white male competitors.
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Kathleen Walsh, TheWeek, "The sidelining of Elizabeth Warren," 12 Feb. 2020 According to CBS News' analysis, Klobuchar had the second most speaking time during the debate, just behind Senator Bernie Sanders.
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Caitlin Conant, CBS News, "2020 Daily Trail Markers: The DNC raises debate requirements once again," 20 Dec. 2019 The concept involves celebrities, disguising themselves in elaborate costumes and masking their speaking voices, performing songs on stage.
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Nick Romano, EW.com, "The Masked Singer season 2 taps Anthony Anderson, Triumph, and more as guest judges," 5 Sep. 2019 The two took more speaking time than any of the other candidates, and Harris’ name quickly became the top search term Thursday evening on Google.
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David Lauter, latimes.com, "Kamala Harris, known for caution, finds a risky move pays off against Joe Biden," 28 June 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'speaking.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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The first known use of speaking was in the 13th century
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