1
as in to say
to express (a thought or emotion) in words
finally spoke her fears
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to talk
to give a formal often extended talk on a subject
the Mayanists have been invited to speak about their latest archaeological discoveries
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
In 2023, Harris spoke with KTVU about his life for a piece about the transitional housing program, talking frankly about his history with heroin addiction and how the opportunity for housing has been a life changer.
—
Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
The virtual influencer is not, strictly speaking, new.
—T. M. Brown, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Victoria Beckham dons a pale pink gown and speaks during the 2026 TIME100 Summit at Lincoln Center on April 22 in New York City.
—Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
There’s a line in the latter that speaks to their rediscovery of self, or as Jawo put it, the ego death.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for speak
Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
The virtual influencer is not, strictly speaking, new.
—T. M. Brown, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Victoria Beckham dons a pale pink gown and speaks during the 2026 TIME100 Summit at Lincoln Center on April 22 in New York City.
—Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
There’s a line in the latter that speaks to their rediscovery of self, or as Jawo put it, the ego death.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for speak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speak
Verb
-
Seeking offense, New York plans to designate Tommy Pham for assignment and has agreed to a major league contract with Austin Slater, a pair of people familiar with the move said, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the decisions were not announced.—
Ronald Blum,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Airport Authority has hired investment banks for the issuance and plans to price the multi‑tranche deal as early as Tuesday, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private matters.—
Janice Huang,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But past royal visits to Washington have sometimes gone awry − from amorous muskrats to a talking hat.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Before talking to the group, McFadden asked them to take a few minutes to interact.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Federal authorities leading investigation The FBI is leading the criminal probe while the Secret Service is focusing on the suspect's behavioral profile, a senior law enforcement official briefed on the bicoastal investigation told USA TODAY.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
-
From there, his reaction was telling.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Steve Kerr's new New Yorker interview sounds a lot less like a man eager to lecture Americans and a lot more like a man trying to clean up a mess he's spent years making.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
-
At Yale, where Garber began her career, Jacques Derrida was a frequent visitor, and Paul de Man might be found down the corridor solemnly lecturing on Nietzsche.—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Womble sat silently, not uttering a word after entering his guilty plea.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The Jets learned that this year, going from Presidents’ Trophy winner to utter disaster.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In it, the king is expected to discuss the United Kingdom’s relationship with the United States over the last 250 years and how the two nations have worked together to achievements in science, economics, innovation, international security and other fields.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Gulf leaders are scheduled to meet in Jeddah on Tuesday to discuss the conflict, the Strait of Hormuz, and Pakistan’s mediation efforts.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That’s pretty phenomenal; Arden even shares credit with the lighting designer, Jen Schriever.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Consider every actual thing Diego Pavia has done and said to hurt himself — not the fake things, one of which was shared Sunday by people who should know better — and apply them to a quarterback who is 6-foot-3 instead of 5-foot-10, with a powerful arm instead of an average one.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speak. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
