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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of speak up
Shields added at the time that she's learned to speak up when something bothers her rather than assuming her spouse can read her mind.
—
Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 27 May 2026
Jack Osbourne spoke up in defense of the AI avatar of Ozzy Osbourne that was announced last week.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 26 May 2026
Arteta has learned when to let the players speak up and when to take matters into their own hands.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 19 May 2026
The conference has spoken up about racial justice issues in the past.
—Bracey Harris, NBC news, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for speak up
Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 27 May 2026
Jack Osbourne spoke up in defense of the AI avatar of Ozzy Osbourne that was announced last week.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 26 May 2026
Arteta has learned when to let the players speak up and when to take matters into their own hands.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 19 May 2026
The conference has spoken up about racial justice issues in the past.
—Bracey Harris, NBC news, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for speak up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speak up
Verb
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Organizers, residents speak out against proposal The delay did not stop organizers and residents from speaking against the proposal at the Port KC board meeting and expressing concerns about tax breaks, environmental impacts and other issues.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
30 May 2026
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Dulgeroff recommended that people who want the full hours to be restored continue to speak out at council meetings or contact all nine council members about the budget.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Counter-protesters showed up toward the end and shouted toward the Hernandez supporters and the two sides exchanged some words before dispersing.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
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Upon accepting his Vanguard Award from the third annual Critics Choice Association‘s Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television last night, Big Mistakes co-creator Dan Levy took a moment to shout out Canadian production for being a step ahead.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Children with the virus may be fussy and sleepy throughout the day, and cry without tears.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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Garner later showed how emotional the moment made her by posting a series of photos on Instagram of herself crying.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Trump has ignited various trade wars, and keeps talking up a possible conflict with Cuba.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
26 May 2026
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Seydoux has been talked up as a Best Actress contender here at the festival.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Slattery has a knack for giving big performances that also feel nonchalant, almost like he’s been there in that backyard the whole time yelling about lettuce, and a TV production just happened to set up shop around him.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
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Perkins can be seen yelling toward someone, while coaches on his team were pushing him away to alleviate the tension.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Before Schiraldi could respond, a second rep piped up in Richards’s defense.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
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Garrett Tyrrell of Durango, sitting to her right, piped up.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Spielberg is just the latest in a chorus of voices in Hollywood that have sounded off on how the entertainment industry should approach the use of AI in recent months.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
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Shooting outside a bar near TD Garden The Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association is sounding off after a shooting outside a popular bar near TD Garden sent patrons frantically searching for cover.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speak up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speak%20up. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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