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

If people continue to cross this boundary, speak up, says Adia Gooden, a clinical psychologist and host of the podcast Unconditionally Worthy. — Malaka Gharib, NPR, 18 July 2026

That trust turns belonging into execution discipline, and high-belonging teams outperform because people engage, speak up and stay connected. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

And, with Lipa speaking up, the opposition now has a powerful ally, according to The Guardian and the Daily Beast. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 16 July 2026

Matthews, 26, took to her Instagram Stories on July 9 to speak up about the situation and defend her friends. — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 13 July 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