as in spoke up
to voice one's opinions freely with force
it's a free country, so anyone can speak out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 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
-
As the album circulated, country elders spoke up regarding even bigger Q hits, and a fuller picture of his catalog emerged.—
Jonathan Rowe,
SPIN,
1 June 2026
-
But not one of them spoke up during the meeting so the meeting moved forward.—
Terina Allen,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Some in the crowd shouted at each other as deputies surrounded them to calm the tension.—
Amy McDaniel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 June 2026
-
Organizers of Athens PrideFest are condemning a group of individuals who displayed Nazi symbols and shouted hateful rhetoric during the city's annual Pride celebration Saturday.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Kemp is reported to have talked up the company, called Centegix, during events like a visit to a Douglas County school in 2019, where Daniel Dooley was present.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
-
Adolescence, and Tanz talked up the breakout nature of the show at today’s event.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
At the final whistle, Pulisic crouched on the field, covered his face with his jersey and cried.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
-
Randle was emotional during the hearing and cried through the presentation of evidence.—
Ashley Paul,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Despite the apparent pain, Brunson got up, yelled at the refs and continued playing.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
-
Officer Harper got into the back seat before the car took off and yelled at Huffman to stop, police said.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 June 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
-
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
-
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
-
The Spurs are known for their physicality, but many believed that Wemby should’ve been called for fouls in these cases.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
-
Which is how Tony Alford woke up in early March to discover that Dobbins had called his cell at 3 in the morning, Ann Arbor time.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spoke out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spoke%20out. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
