SPEAKING UP Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words

speaking up 1 of 2

adjective

as in speaking out

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Dissimilar Words

speaking up

2 of 2

verb

present participle of speak up

as in spouting (off)

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 speaking up

Verb

But together with his mother, Alison, the 22-year-old has found a calling in speaking up for people with disabilities in Tallahassee. — Justin Garcia, Miami Herald, 28 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 Nearly three years after she was fired from the Scream franchise for speaking up in support of Palestinians, Melissa Barrera sees the tides changing. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2026 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 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 Research on frontline employees' voice in healthcare shows that speaking up is not enough; ideas need processes that carry them toward implementation. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Part of it is that more women are speaking up about hair loss, shrugging off the stigma and reaching out for help. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for speaking up

Adjective

The vocal and acting prowess of the cast stands out, in a large-scale production that matches the level of major international musicals.

— Franchesca Guim, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2026
El-Sayed, a former Michigan health official, has been vocal about healthcare issues along the campaign trail, speaking frequently about Medicare For All alongside a push to get money out of politics and a focus on affordability issues more broadly.

— Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of vocal

Verb

First, men who receive accurate information about what other men actually believe are less inhibited about speaking out and intervening.

— Catherine A. Sanderson, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026
Amid the ongoing investigation into the deaths of two Ole Miss students, representatives of the kratom industry are speaking out about how the product may have been mischaracterized.

— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of speaking out

Verb

Jensen Huang has been talking up the importance of fostering a rich open source ecosystem.

— Jim Cramer, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
The telco is talking up the simplicity of its new offering, but with a lot of talk of a ‘cost of living crisis’ in the UK, a lot will also come down to pricing versus a traditional pay TV service, or paying for streaming services individually.

— Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of talking up

Verb

The two of them spent the rest of the night pressed together in the crowded bar, shouting at each other to be heard over the sound of drunk youth.

— Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
Kelce said lovingly before shouting out how quickly and thoroughly Swift picked up all there is to know about his sport.

— Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of shouting

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
Younger Republican voters and GOP contrarians are piping up to challenge the broad consensus in the Republican Party that has been in lockstep with policy on Israel.

— Kristina Karisch, The Hill, 19 Aug. 2025

Definition of piping up

Verb

Elaine Hendrix is sounding off about Tuesday’s shocking elimination on Dancing With the Stars season 35.

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Sep. 2026
Vocalization increases, with more bulls sounding off as the rut approaches; the peak is generally considered to be the last two weeks of September.

— Jim Zumbo, Outdoor Life, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of sounding off

Verb

The investigation began May 4, 2025, when the city of Riverside officials received reports of a baby crying inside a dumpster.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
This audience listened in awed silence, and by the end of the song, everyone around us was crying as well, before jolting upward in a spontaneous standing ovation — one of three.

— James Gunn, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of crying

Verb

Cunningham was upset with the call, meanwhile, Wilson was seen yelling and pointing at a fan a few rows from courtside.

— Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Tempers flared and people from both sides were yelling in each other’s faces, while Bloomingdale police officers intervened.

— Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of yelling

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“Speaking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speaking%20up. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of speaking up

adjective

verb

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