speak out

verb

Definition of speak outnext
as in to speak 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 speak out Brattin said other conservatives face the same threats for speaking out. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026 Selma Blair is speaking out for the first time since her arrest. — Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Residents began speaking out in early October, as WBTV reported. — Charlotte Observer, 16 Oct. 2026 Several thousand Women’s Lib protesters, led by Jane Fonda, were joined by Vietnam Veterans to speak out against the war. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for speak out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speak out
  1. speak up
  2. shout
  3. cry
  4. sound off
  5. talk up
  6. yell
  7. pipe up
Verb
  • Child Mind Institute guidance on communicating with teenagers emphasizes listening, validating feelings and creating space where kids feel safe speaking up.
    — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The singer has also spoken up on LGBTQ+ rights, among other concerns.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of speak up
Verb
  • Lil’ Randy shouts repeatedly as he is hauled off, a great ending to a pretty great episode.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The drunk-and-disorderly charge is linked to a December incident, in which Minton is accused of shouting and cursing at patrons of a tattoo studio in Hickory, court records show.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of shout
Verb
  • Among them were a parent at her daughter’s school who recognized her on account of her voice alone and a dad on an airplane whose baby had been crying non-stop for over an hour.
    — Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Another girl cried non-stop—possibly from fear and nervousness rather than sorrow.
    — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of cry
Verb
  • Multiple season-ticket holders sounded off on season-ticket deadlines, saying in the past they were required to begin 25% payments in December to receive the perk of 20 free tickets for certain games.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Fans of Wetzel were quick to sound off in the comments section with plenty of reactions.
    — David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of sound off
Verb
  • The president talked up Jackson and Senate candidate Mike Collins as part of the White House effort to boost GOP enthusiasm in the upcoming elections.
    — DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Like China, Russia has talked up the prospect of its own Starlink alternative for several years, but the program was accelerated earlier this year when SpaceX cut off Russian access to Starlink.
    — Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of talk up
Verb
  • During one middle school mariachi practice, an instructor encourages a girl to come out of her shell and yell excitedly.
    — Jessica Hill, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The HomeView can also share intercom-style broadcasts to any other room equipped with smart speakers, sparing you the need to yell up the stairs when dinner is ready.
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of yell
Verb
  • At this, Shawn, who sat with his father at the end of the jetty, piped up.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of pipe up

Browse Nearby Words

speak one's mind
speak out
speaks
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Speak out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speak%20out. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All