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

Jason speaks up as to whether he felt bullied or harassed in the house. — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 31 July 2026

Proponents of the change call the new ball a compromise, with one neighbor speaking up at a town meeting. — Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 31 July 2026

Jennifer Morrison, the state’s public-safety commissioner, has also spoken up. — Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

Creating that type of environment requires employees to feel comfortable speaking up — even when their ideas are still being developed. — Alyshia Hull, USA Today, 30 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