speak up

verb

spoke up; spoken up; speaking up; speaks up
Synonyms of speak upnext

intransitive verb

1
: to speak loudly and distinctly
2
: to express an opinion freely
… speak up for truth and justice …—Clive Bell

Synonyms of speak up

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Examples of speak up in a Sentence

she's never been afraid to speak up at town meetings
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In a blended model, children may speak up to twice as much with AI tutors as with live teachers. — Dmitry Malin, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Multiple neighbors were unable to speak up during the virtual hearing because of their work schedules, language barriers, age and difficulty navigating the online meeting’s comment system. — Isaac Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026 According to Dogen, the confusion ended only after one of his children spoke up. — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Thank you, Kat Timpf, for speaking up against Greg Gutfeld’s hateful, pointless and incorrect diatribe about cats and the people who give them a home. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for speak up

Word History

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of speak up was in 1681

Rhymes for speak up

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Browse Nearby Words

speak/talk with (a) forked tongue
speak up
speak volumes
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Speak up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speak%20up. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

speak up

verb
: speak out

More from Merriam-Webster on speak up

Nglish: Translation of speak up for Spanish Speakers

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