soapbox

[ sohp-boks ]

/ ˈsoʊpˌbɒks /

Also soap box. an improvised platform, as one on a street, from which a speaker delivers an informal speech, an appeal, or political harangue.

of, relating to, or characteristic of a speaker or speech from a soapbox.

Origin of soapbox

First recorded in 1650–60; soap + box¹

It has been subject to political sensitivities and soapbox rhetoric, buffeted by popular disbelief and official omertà.

Why Humanitarians Talk to ISIS |Joshua Hersh |October 24, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Jasarevic noted social mobilization—whether done on Twitter or atop a soapbox—is only a part of the solution.

Ebola Tweets Are Missing the Target |Kevin Zawacki |August 3, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
He immediately called Sharpton, who said he was sorry that Jackson had turned the press conference into a soapbox.

Speed Read: Juiciest Bits From the Tommy Mottola Memoir ‘Hitmaker’ |Kevin Fallon |January 31, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
The office of the President is, in reality, something of a soapbox.

Why Did Peres Speak Up Against Bibi? |Brent E. Sasley |January 3, 2013 |DAILY BEAST

They have come from politicians or media figures, hammering home their point on a soapbox or over radio waves.

America's 9 Worst Demagogues |John Avlon |September 2, 2010 |DAILY BEAST
If a soapbox be nailed at one end the baby may be put into this for a safe ride.

Home Occupations for Boys and Girls |Bertha Johnston
But I would never have gone up on a soapbox to support them.

Warren Commission (5 of 26): Hearings Vol. V (of 15) |The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
He went over to the soapbox table, shorn of its gorgeous cover, the photograph alone adorning it.

A Little Dusky Hero |Harriot T, Comstock
The soapbox will be her cell, for it was so small she could not lie down in it.

Homespun Tales |Kate Douglas Wiggin
He found a soapbox, and carried it over to the soft ring of light that streamed from the furnace door, and sat down.

The Troll Garden and Selected Stories |Willa Cather

soapbox

/ (ˈsəʊpˌbɒks) /

a box or crate for packing soap

a crate used as a platform for speech-making

a child's homemade racing cart consisting of a wooden box set on a wooden frame with wheels and a steerable front axle