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

And there are so many more that have stayed silent because people out there have told them not to speak up, who have scared them into not speaking up. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026

The Oversight Democrats’ summary published on Monday says officers at the facility were told by superiors there would be consequences for speaking up. — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026

And as critical as the postpartum period is for both new moms to speak up and their community to show up for them, support also needs to extend well beyond postpartum. — Maressa Brown, Parents, 20 Sep. 2026

Nearly three years after she was fired from the Scream franchise for speaking up in support of Palestinians, Melissa Barrera sees the tides changing. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 19 Sep. 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