speak up
verb
spoke up; spoken up; speaking up; speaks up
1
: to speak loudly and distinctly
2
: to express an opinion freely
speak up for truth and justice—
Clive Bell
Clive BellExamples of speak up in a Sentence
she's never been afraid to speak up at town meetings
Recent Examples on the Web
As a mom of two, Morgan is speaking up for the first time since retiring from soccer as a mom and showing that true success isn’t about keeping score.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
In healthy work environments, information flows freely, and people feel safe speaking up with ideas, concerns or feedback without fear of retaliation.
—Alora Bopray, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
However, men often weigh the potential social costs before speaking up, which can lead them to not engage or to reinforce gender stereotypes.
—Colleen Tolan, The Conversation, 3 Sep. 2025
Many leaders assume employees will naturally speak up with questions or share bold ideas, but the reality often looks very different.
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for speak up
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.
Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
In healthy work environments, information flows freely, and people feel safe speaking up with ideas, concerns or feedback without fear of retaliation.
—Alora Bopray, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
However, men often weigh the potential social costs before speaking up, which can lead them to not engage or to reinforce gender stereotypes.
—Colleen Tolan, The Conversation, 3 Sep. 2025
Many leaders assume employees will naturally speak up with questions or share bold ideas, but the reality often looks very different.
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for speak up
Cite this Entry
“Speak up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speak%20up. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share