SPEAKING UP Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words

speaking up 1 of 2

adjective

as in speaking out

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Dissimilar Words

speaking up

2 of 2

verb

present participle of speak up

as in spouting (off)

to voice one's opinions freely with force she's never been afraid to speak up at town meetings

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 speaking up

Verb

City official calls removal ‘unnecessary escalation’ As the meeting continued, another attendee called Miller’s removal from the chambers disappointing and shameful to see someone who was speaking up thrown to the ground. — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2026 Instead, Cuban seemed much more interested in speaking up for fellow entrepreneurs. — Nathan Goldman, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 But when Cunningham said women’s sports should be for women, speaking up suddenly became the problem. — Jonathan Alpert Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026 Imtiaz stresses that with any form of treatment, speaking up quickly about any concerns is essential. — Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026 If something doesn’t seem right, both experts recommend speaking up immediately. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 12 Aug. 2026 The generation that has encountered the impact of social media on their own and their friends’ mental and physical wellbeing is speaking up, loud and clear. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 10 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 According to the family, speaking up is about seeking justice for Lopez Cornejo and anyone in a similar situation. — Michael Loria, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for speaking up

Adjective

Brown chronicled her experience with cancer in several articles for PEOPLE and became a vocal advocate for fellow cancer patients.

— Emma Banks, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026
People who ride bikes are a small but very vocal minority who seem to have city government wrapped around their fingers.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of vocal

Verb

Damola Adamolekun, the youngest CEO the chain restaurant has ever seen at 37 years old, acknowledges the company's storied history with celebrity, and has been talking up the brand since taking over.

— Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
Since Anthropic began offering glimpses of their Mythos model earlier this year, critics have slammed the company for allegedly building hype by talking up how dangerous the model could be in the wrong hands.

— Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Definition of talking up

Verb

Following his speech, council members struggled to restore order as some of Lang's supporters began shouting, and one was escorted out by police.

— DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Miners, mostly young men and women covered in mud, could be seen pulling out a body from the pit while dozens of other miners and workers were scattered around the expansive site, some shouting for help.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of shouting

Verb

When a small raptor center in Southern California began caring for the most famous bald eagle on Earth, the keyboard veterinarians started piping up.

— Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Younger Republican voters and GOP contrarians are piping up to challenge the broad consensus in the Republican Party that has been in lockstep with policy on Israel.

— Kristina Karisch, The Hill, 19 Aug. 2025

Definition of piping up

Verb

Influencers like Paige Paul (née Lorenze) have been sounding off in Four Winds Craft Guild’s comments, trying to frame the argument as a feminist one.

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 29 July 2026
His inconsistencies were glaring, sounding off alarm bells about whether Drury had made a miscalculation.

— Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 21 July 2026

Definition of sounding off

Verb

The sound of a baby crying helped Atlanta police find two young sisters inside a trailer Monday, bringing an overnight kidnapping investigation to a safe end.

— CBS News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Nearby, their daughter began crying, a reminder of the fear that continues to haunt many survivors.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026