speak up

verb

spoke up; spoken up; speaking up; speaks up

intransitive verb

1

: to speak loudly and distinctly

2

: to express an opinion freely

… speak up for truth and justice …

—Clive Bell

Synonyms of speak up

• speak out
• shout
• cry
• talk up
• yell
• pipe up
• spout (off)
• sound off

Examples of speak up in a Sentence

she's never been afraid to speak up at town meetings

Recent Examples on the Web

Spotting a pair of smart glasses can require tech-savvy security staff, and enforcement may depend on users voluntarily disclosing their devices—or on watchful observers speaking up. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026

The actress, 47, brought up a moment when most members of the cast spoke up to ask for a change from the writers. — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026

Passengers can also help prevent distracted driving by speaking up if a driver loses focus and assisting with navigation or other tasks to minimize distractions. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

Don’t be afraid to speak up to say what interests you and also what doesn’t. — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for speak up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

speak up

verb

: speak out