SPEAKS UP Synonyms: 29 Similar and Opposite Words

speaks up

verb

present tense third-person singular of speak up

as in speaks out

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

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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 speaks up But one of the few voices of reason, scientist Ganesh (Riz Ahmed, also one of the few performances allowed any nuance), speaks up to explain how that would set off a whole new chain of disasters, refusing to sugarcoat the awful truth for the public. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026 Jason speaks up as to whether he felt bullied or harassed in the house. — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 31 July 2026 Your 11th House of Friends and Community speaks up as the moody Moon there opposes restrictive Saturn in your 5th House of Creativity and Play, so group plans may squeeze a passion project. — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 22 June 2026 It may be stopped because one student speaks up, one parent pays attention, one friend refuses to stay silent, one faith leader reaches out, or one community decides that preventing hate is everyone’s responsibility. — Michael Brunker, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2026 Other employees watch what happens when someone speaks up. — Briana Mascaro, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026 The people around Trump support these equivocations because anyone who opposes Trump’s ideas in the White House will be shown the door; any Republican who speaks up in Congress will be primaried out of their seat. — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026 Exceptional human being, trustworthy dude, does his homework, speaks up. — Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026 Touching the Art also delves into erasure and gaslighting, illustrating the all-too-common silencing that occurs when a family member speaks up about violence or abuse. — Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for speaks up

Verb

Meghan McCain, a conservative panelist who left the show in 2021, regularly speaks out about the program on social media and via her Citizen McCain talk show.

— Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2026
Jessica Mann speaks out on Harvey Weinstein mistrial Mann reacted to the outcome in a statement obtained by USA TODAY.

— Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 15 May 2026

Definition of speaks out

Verb

O’Kane shouts when Tom Brokaw announces that one of the men suspected of plotting the attack has been detained.

— Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Fighters loyal to the Houthi authorities, shouts slogans during a rally to recruit more fighters, in Sanaa on September 10, 2026.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of shouts

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
Alibaba talks up chips Alibaba has positioned itself as one of China’s leading players, developing chips for AI and selling its services via its cloud computing unit.

— Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 13 May 2026

Definition of talks up

Verb

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
The film focused on a young Black reenactor at a historical slave plantation museum in the Midwest who yells at tourists and fights with the town’s racist mayor — played by Parker — was reportedly slated to go into production in the summer of 2024.

— Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of yells

Verb

Karmelo Anthony supporter sounds off on verdict Prosecutor Bill Wirskye and Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis spoke to Fox News' Brooke Taylor on Wednesday and expressed relief that the jury convicted Anthony of murder.

— Kelsie Cairns , Michael Ruiz , Brooke Taylor, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
After a gobbler sounds off, try to move within 200 yards of his position, (150 yards is better), and then choose your position.

— Bruce Brady, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2026

Definition of sounds off

Cite this Entry

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“Speaks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speaks%20up. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of speaks up

verb

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