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

Even for actors with successful, lengthy careers, speaking up in support of Israel in 2026 carries immense risk. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026 Residents in Bridgeport and Chinatown have been speaking up against that plan. — Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 5 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 She's become an outspoken advocate against the plant, speaking up at city meetings and leading the Safe and Sound Coalition as its director. — Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 Fortunately, there are other voices speaking up — and good reason to think that voters are listening. — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026 Spotting a pair of smart glasses can require tech-savvy security staff, and enforcement may depend on users voluntarily disclosing their devices—or on watchful observers speaking up. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026 City official calls removal ‘unnecessary escalation’ As the meeting continued, another attendee called Miller’s removal from the chambers disappointing and shameful to see someone who was speaking up thrown to the ground. — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for speaking up

Adjective

Both Cuban-American Republicans from Miami are two of the most vocal critics of the communist government in Havana.

— Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
While fans were initially vocal about not being able to hear Sampha, his energy was palpable throughout the set.

— Caché McClay, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of vocal

Verb

As notions of justice, power and inequity begin to shade her peripheral vision, Maya is torn between speaking out and adhering to the moral compartmentalization that goes hand in hand with her family’s generational success.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
As the lone Democratic commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission, Anna Gomez has been in the unique position of speaking out on some of the agency’s biggest decisions and even publicly urging Disney to fight back against the FCC.

— Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 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

Getting around interference The biggest technical hurdle in spectrum sharing is interference – what happens when two signals overlap and scramble each other, like two people shouting different things in your ear at the same time.

— Aylin Yener, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2026
Those who speak a password, released via social media, receive a fake business card, which does mean many a guest is standing there shouting a password at the actor.

— Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 8 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

Influencers like Paige Paul (née Lorenze) have been sounding off in Four Winds Craft Guild’s comments, trying to frame the argument as a feminist one.

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 29 July 2026
His inconsistencies were glaring, sounding off alarm bells about whether Drury had made a miscalculation.

— Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 21 July 2026

Definition of sounding off

Verb

Yet tackling noise issues is challenging in part because the sources vary — think traffic on a busy street in Manhattan versus yelling in a neighboring room.

— Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
The trapped man was discovered when the driver of the Recology commercial collection truck was emptying a dumpster at a hotel on the 100 block of Mason Street and heard yelling, according to Robert Reed, a spokesman for Recology.

— Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026