spoke up

past tense of speak up

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 up 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 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 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 And then Morton spoke up, and told them no more crying. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spoke up
Verb
  • Sais said the men shouted homophobic and racist slurs before punching him, knocking him to the ground and leaving him with injuries to his face and head.
    Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The man called the flight attendant, who is Black, a racial slur and also shouted anti-gay remarks, according to the outlet.
    Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The ambassador last month spoke out sharply after weeks of unrest in the town of Qusra, where settlers surrounded several homes including one owned by a Palestinian American.
    ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Alix Earle spoke out about her feud with Alex Cooper months after the Call Her Daddy host called her out in April.
    Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Following the official announcement, Popovich and Dion cried tears of joy during an interview with Nashville’s Fox 17 News.
    Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The comedian also said that Chelsea cried when the pair’s visit ended early due to a tornado warning in the area.
    Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In his absence, Van de Ven, whom De Zerbi has talked up as the best left-sided centre-back in Europe, stepped up and played the best and most consistent stretch of the season.
    Elias Burke, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • In a timely interview with Mel as the festival began on Wednesday, Nazzaro talked up The Green Eyes, a pic from Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh’s that addresses deportation.
    Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Mincey yelled out as the climb leveled out for the final time.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • When the boy and his grandmother got into difficulty in the water, his siblings, ages 4 and 6, yelled to attract the attention of bystanders.
    Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 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
  • Regardless, fans on social media sounded off about the lack of grandstand seats (tickets to the event were free and sold out quickly).
    Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • During a virtual listening session hosted last week by the inspector general’s office, dozens of people sounded off on the department’s use of Flock cameras.
    Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Spoke up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spoke%20up. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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