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 Bell
Synonyms
Examples of speak up in a Sentence
she's never been afraid to speak up at town meetings
Recent Examples on the Web
And if employees see something going wrong with that process, they should be encouraged to speak up and know that their concerns will be taken seriously and remedied.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024
More recently people against Tucson supporting a cease-fire resolution have also begun speaking up at council meetings, voicing concern about inflammatory rhetoric being expressed during the open comment portion of city council meetings.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 9 Apr. 2024
Yet another soldier spoke up: there was a problem with his spine.
—Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
But trust your legal team’s judgment on when to speak up and when to stay silent to help your case.
—Karla Miller, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
Still, in a grim political moment that just keeps getting more contentious, watching Youssef—a practicing Muslim born to Egyptian parents in Queens, New York—making a case for peace is a reminder that daring to speak up is always, always worth it.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2024
When that happens, people stop speaking up and become less engaged.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Television Commentary: ‘Quiet on Set’ allegations forced Dan Schneider to speak up.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024
An environment with psychological safety creates space and trust where individuals can take interpersonal risks in sharing ideas without being punished for challenging the norm, speaking up, or making mistakes.
—Dr. Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Melvin Backman, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024
More recently people against Tucson supporting a cease-fire resolution have also begun speaking up at council meetings, voicing concern about inflammatory rhetoric being expressed during the open comment portion of city council meetings.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 9 Apr. 2024
Yet another soldier spoke up: there was a problem with his spine.
—Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
But trust your legal team’s judgment on when to speak up and when to stay silent to help your case.
—Karla Miller, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
Still, in a grim political moment that just keeps getting more contentious, watching Youssef—a practicing Muslim born to Egyptian parents in Queens, New York—making a case for peace is a reminder that daring to speak up is always, always worth it.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2024
When that happens, people stop speaking up and become less engaged.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Television Commentary: ‘Quiet on Set’ allegations forced Dan Schneider to speak up.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024
An environment with psychological safety creates space and trust where individuals can take interpersonal risks in sharing ideas without being punished for challenging the norm, speaking up, or making mistakes.
—Dr. Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'speak up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near speak up
Cite this Entry
“Speak up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speak%20up. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
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