Take the floor is an expression that means to take the opportunity to SPEAK in a public setting. It can be used in a variety of contexts, such as a meeting, a debate, or a presentation. The crossword solutions for this term are TALK (4 letters), SPEAK (5 letters), and ORATE (5 letters). TALK and SPEAK are synonyms for speaking, while ORATE is a more formal way of saying it. All three words refer to the act of taking the floor and expressing oneself in a public setting.