SPEAK UP Synonyms: 29 Similar and Opposite Words

speak up

verb

Definition of speak up

as in to speak out

to voice one's opinions freely with force she's never been afraid to speak up at town meetings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of speak up In the days since, more than a dozen Democrats and a handful of Republicans have spoken up to further criticize the ads. — Ali Swenson, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026 As Netflix prepares to release another season of its mixed-faith Jewish rom-com Nobody Wants This, leading man Adam Brody is using his platform to speak up for Palestinians. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2026 Thiessen isn’t the only one who’s spoken up about the low salaries the teen acts were given in the ’90s. — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for speak up

Recent Examples of Synonyms for speak up

Verb

The pope, who spoke out against the US war in Iran, also wants a more united Europe, a stronger European Union and stronger international cooperation.

— Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026
The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice spoke out following a situation involving her 20-year-old daughter Milania Giudice.

— Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of speak out

Verb

Gaming Tests Typically, for mini PCs, our graphics benchmarks end there, but my curiosity demanded more testing, especially with how much Geekom talks up gaming performance.

— Michael Justin Allen Sexton, PC Magazine, 26 Sep. 2026
Enter Pijama, talked up by the Larrain brothers at CIC, a TVOD system affording global or select territory access and right holder returns, which get 80% of revenues, to great films audiences can’t see.

— Alex Ritman, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of talk up

Verb

The sets have too many doors, the scenes have a delirious number of extras and the actors yell their lines over the distracting clatter of crackling fireplaces, beeping machines and ticking clocks.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Things escalate as the two share a car ride home from a fancy gala and the bad man yells at her for embarrassing him.

— Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of yell

Verb

When a small raptor center in Southern California began caring for the most famous bald eagle on Earth, the keyboard veterinarians started piping up.

— Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Every time a restaurant or other small business announces its closure, people pipe up on social media about what the business owner should have done to be successful.

— Gregg Olsen, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026

Definition of pipe up

Cite this Entry

Style

“Speak up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speak%20up. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of speak up

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

perseverate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes