SPOKE UP Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

spoke up

verb

past tense of speak up

as in shouted

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 spoke up The statement, in which Bryan supposedly spoke up defending his stance from the night before, came from an X account that purports to belong to the singer but does not. — Chris Willman, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026 In June, students spoke up at a district board meeting, claiming that racial slurs had become more commonplace on campus, the Independent reported. — Terry Castleman follow, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026 Thank you to everyone who spoke up, showed up, emailed, and voiced your feedback. — Jordan Burrows, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026 Weeks later, one of her most skeptical peers spoke up in a leadership meeting—not to object, but to explain why the change mattered for his team too. — Andriana Eliadis, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026 Not long after Cowdray, the Dorchester president, got up to present, Opperman spoke up. — Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026 The actress, 47, brought up a moment when most members of the cast spoke up to ask for a change from the writers. — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026 According to Dogen, the confusion ended only after one of his children spoke up. — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2026 History is full of examples of officers who also spoke up about the ethics and strategic implications of the president’s choices. — Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spoke up

Verb

Another customer shouted out the Peppercorn Steak Market meal kit offered by the store.

— Sadie Chafe, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Carbone shouted out to the crowd from The Grill’s balcony in a Tom Ford tuxedo.

— Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of shouted

Verb

Veterans, retirees and lawmakers spoke out — against its scale, its cost, its lack of Congressional approval, its gaudiness, its intrusion on nearby Arlington National Cemetery and more — next to a mockup made of tarp.

— Rachel Treisman, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
Another former servant, Simon Solari, spoke out in Prince Charles’ defense at the time.

— Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of spoke out

Verb

Several stars, pros, and judges cried during the Dancing With the Stars season 35 premiere.

— Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2026
Interviewees describe hacking little girls’ phones to see when their fathers came home and then bombing their houses, listening while the people on the line screamed and pleaded for help, while mothers cried over their burning daughters.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of cried

Verb

At the Conference, execs from three beneficiaries — Casa Mundo Cero, Aurora Media and Itaca Films — talked up the benefits.

— Alex Ritman, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026
The company offered locals huge salaries—$185,000 annually, well above the national average—and talked up the potential size of the oil deposit.

— Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of talked up

Verb

Her video also gained attention on X, where users sounded off in quote-tweets and replies, boosting the tweet to over 9 million views in three days.

— Owen Carry, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026
Jack Cress, a helicopter accident investigation instructor at USC’s Aviation Safety and Security Program, told the newspaper that the alarm sounded off because of possible engine failure or an issue with the hydraulic system.

— David Chiu, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of sounded off

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“Spoke up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spoke%20up. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of spoke up

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