Let's replace say with more descriptive "say" verbs...
This 100-word list is long, however, still incomplete... accuse, acknowledge, add, admonish, affirm, agree, allege, announce, answer, argue, ask, assert, assure, beg, berate, boast, brag, call, caution, challenge, chant, claim, command, comment, complain, confess, confirm, consent, criticize, cry, declare, demand, describe, elaborate, enquire, enumerate, exaggerate, exclaim, explain, giggle, guess, howl, inform, insist, interrogate, interrupt, joke, laugh, lecture, lie, mention, moan, mock, mumble, murmur, narrate, note, offer, order, point out, praise, pray, preach, promise, prompt, protest, question, quip, quote, rant, rave, recall, recite, regret, remark, remember, reply, report, reprimand, request, resume, retort, roar, scold, shout, shriek, sigh, sneer, specify, stammer, state, stutter, suggest, taunt, tell, urge, warn, whine, whisper, yell, …..
add a few more......