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

During a recent audience Q&A at a 30th anniversary screening of the original Scream, Lillard was asked about the difficulty of speaking up about politics as an actor. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 2026

Across the way, awakening Uranus shakes your 2nd House of Resources, and this opposition asks your personal values to speak up. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 16 Sep. 2026

But if the symptoms are sticking around, especially after a dose change, don’t be shy about speaking up at your next appointment. — Korin Miller, Allure, 16 Sep. 2026

To the credit of both men, Devers has been a model of professionalism ever since the Miami incident, even speaking up in hitters’ meetings and acting as a welcoming presence to new arrivals. — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 14 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