speak out

verb

Definition of speak outnext
as in to speak up
to voice one's opinions freely with force it's a free country, so anyone can speak out

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 out Some local businesses spoke out about getting less traffic as a result of the soccer tournament. — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2026 President Cyril Ramaphosa also spoke out against violence at the protests, vowing that the police would clamp down on people breaking the law. — ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026 Despite investigating and speaking out against district corruption as a parent of Lincoln-Way alums, Ann Jenkins expressed lingering fondness for Wyllie. — Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026 Members of various trade unions attended the Town Council meetings and spoke out in support of the data center. — Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 29 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for speak out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speak out
  1. speak up
  2. shout
  3. cry
  4. sound off
  5. talk up
  6. yell
  7. pipe up
Verb
  • Once surgery starts, the line is followed, so this is the moment to speak up.
    — Kaitlyn Gomez, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • When a major renovation of Northeast High School appeared at risk, residents and local leaders spoke up.
    — Tim Lonergan, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of speak up
Verb
  • Aneha shouts to the crowd and then dances off the altar, like this is all a fun gag.
    — Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026
  • In one video, Basabe appears to raise his voice at a man before turning around and shouting at a woman.
    — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of shout
Verb
  • There’s an emotional sequence with the young child Akiko crying that involves her parents.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 7 Nov. 2026
  • When Lebrun returned to Florida, his two children — a son and a daughter — both cried.
    — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of cry
Verb
  • Robert Pattinson is sounding off about Steven Soderbergh stepping up to help finish filming The Batman Part II.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Here, the athlete sounds off on the secrets to success in beach volleyball, the women’s sports surge and SoCal style.
    — Katie Abel, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of sound off
Verb
  • Those supported by anti-CTU groups, meanwhile, talked up fiscal restraint and independence from City Hall and Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former organizer with the union.
    — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Gulf officials at a summit in Bahrain talked up the need for diplomacy to solve the region’s security crisis, yet a sense of helplessness hung over the atmosphere.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of talk up
Verb
  • The video, which is blurry from the officer's movement, captures yelling and the sound of a single gunshot, followed by several additional gunshot noises.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The video, which is blurry from the officer’s movement, captures yelling and the sound of a single gunshot, followed by several additional gunshot noises.
    — Kristin M. Hall, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of yell
Verb
  • Ida Mae Cullen, the peppery widow of poet Countee Cullen, pipes up to remind the group, vigorously, that the Harlem Renaissance really lasted for just one decade, the 1920s, though its ripples began years before and resonated for decades after.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But remarks made last week by Bruce Brown, an eight-year NBA veteran fighting for a roster spot with the New York Knicks, garnered enough attention online that the league piped up.
    — Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of pipe up

Browse Nearby Words

speak one's mind
speak out
speaks
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Speak out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speak%20out. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of defer

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

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

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All