as in spoke up
to voice one's opinions freely with force
it's a free country, so anyone can speak out
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Recent Examples of spoke out
The decision faced opposition from community members who spoke out against the plan.
—
Finch Walker, USA Today, 28 May 2026
Massachusetts leaders spoke out quickly after the death of former Congressman and House Financial Services Committee Chair Barney Frank was announced on Wednesday morning, praising his service to the state and the country.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 20 May 2026
The majority of residents who spoke on the item at Thursday’s meeting spoke out against it, expressing concern that another bond on the heels of the $400 million Miami Forever Bond — approved in 2017 — was fiscally irresponsible.
—Tess Riski
may 14, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
Opponents of gas tax holidays — including a trio of trucking groups that spoke out against the proposal on Monday — contend that consumers end up saving little since the pause is implemented at the wholesale level.
—Justin Papp, CNBC, 13 May 2026
And a majority of those women who spoke out about his past actions are comics that were noticeably not on the festival lineup.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
The proposal led to a contentious village board meeting at which residents spoke out and fought with the developer, arguing that multifamily units would not be a good fit for the mostly single-family home neighborhood.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
Since Kevin first spoke out Tuesday from Mexico pleading for his parents’ deportation, his health has deteriorated dramatically.
—Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 7 May 2026
One day after teams of federal agents flooded the MacArthur Park area in a sweeping drug enforcement operation, the neighboring Langer's Deli owner and other community members spoke out on issues plaguing the area.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 7 May 2026
Finch Walker, USA Today, 28 May 2026
Massachusetts leaders spoke out quickly after the death of former Congressman and House Financial Services Committee Chair Barney Frank was announced on Wednesday morning, praising his service to the state and the country.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 20 May 2026
The majority of residents who spoke on the item at Thursday’s meeting spoke out against it, expressing concern that another bond on the heels of the $400 million Miami Forever Bond — approved in 2017 — was fiscally irresponsible.
—Tess Riski
may 14, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
Opponents of gas tax holidays — including a trio of trucking groups that spoke out against the proposal on Monday — contend that consumers end up saving little since the pause is implemented at the wholesale level.
—Justin Papp, CNBC, 13 May 2026
And a majority of those women who spoke out about his past actions are comics that were noticeably not on the festival lineup.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
The proposal led to a contentious village board meeting at which residents spoke out and fought with the developer, arguing that multifamily units would not be a good fit for the mostly single-family home neighborhood.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
Since Kevin first spoke out Tuesday from Mexico pleading for his parents’ deportation, his health has deteriorated dramatically.
—Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 7 May 2026
One day after teams of federal agents flooded the MacArthur Park area in a sweeping drug enforcement operation, the neighboring Langer's Deli owner and other community members spoke out on issues plaguing the area.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 7 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spoke out
Verb
-
But not one of them spoke up during the meeting so the meeting moved forward.—
Terina Allen,
Forbes.com,
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
Verb
-
The Four Seasons actress shouted out her husband, Jeff Richmond, ahead of their 25th wedding anniversary with her signature wit.—
Marina Watts,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 June 2026
-
Several petites shouted out these wide-leg pants as friendly for smaller frames.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The Original continued to brutalize his opposition on the outside as Rey Mysterio talked up the importance of the connection between El Grande II and the fans.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
Rodriguez had been talked up at one point as a possible opponent of Bass in this year’s election.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Some collapsed on the ground at the cave’s entrance and were hugged by a group of workers who cried in joy.—
Jintamas Saksornchai,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
-
Some collapsed on the ground at the cave’s entrance, and were hugged by a group of workers who cried in joy.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Agents yelled from every direction, and the thumps of a news helicopter overhead were deafening.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
-
Blue Jays manager John Schneider yelled at Pérez, but the situation did not escalate.—
CBS Miami Team,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Before Schiraldi could respond, a second rep piped up in Richards’s defense.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
Garrett Tyrrell of Durango, sitting to her right, piped up.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On Tuesday, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina sounded off on China and Pakistan, which is trying to broker a peace deal in the Iran war.—
Vivian Salama,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
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Francis then sounded off on the critics and naysayers who have seemingly lined up to wrong him.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The rapidly ballooning market of the 1980s accommodated both kinds of art—art that might have been called critical, as well as art that might have been termed complicit, Pictures artists and neo-expressionists alike.—
Katy Siegel,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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Food and drink Four Seasons has two properties in Istanbul—this, and its sister set on the stretch of the shore lined with former palace-cum-hotels that could be called the Posh-phorus.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spoke out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spoke%20out. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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