uphold

verb

(ˌ)əp-ˈhōld How to pronounce uphold (audio)
Definition of upholdnext
1
as in to defend
to continue to declare to be true or proper despite opposition or objections determined to uphold her views in the face of all challenges

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to sustain
to hold up or serve as a foundation for an entablature upheld by a series of gracefully slender columns

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to lift
to move from a lower to a higher place or position worshippers upheld their joined hands and sang the praises of the Lord

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word uphold different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of uphold are advocate, back, champion, and support. While all these words mean "to favor actively one that meets opposition," uphold implies extended support given to something attacked.

upheld the legitimacy of the military action

When is advocate a more appropriate choice than uphold?

While the synonyms advocate and uphold are close in meaning, advocate stresses urging or pleading.

advocated prison reform

When is it sensible to use back instead of uphold?

The meanings of back and uphold largely overlap; however, back suggests supporting by lending assistance to one failing or falling.

refusing to back the call for sanctions

When might champion be a better fit than uphold?

The synonyms champion and uphold are sometimes interchangeable, but champion suggests publicly defending one unjustly attacked or too weak to advocate his or her own cause.

championed the rights of children

In what contexts can support take the place of uphold?

While in some cases nearly identical to uphold, support is least explicit about the nature of the assistance given.

supports waterfront development

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 uphold That order, issued by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in 2023 and upheld again last year, prompted cities across the country to withdraw or delay laws modeled after the Berkeley ordinance. —Akielly Hu, Wired News, 29 Mar. 2025 Trump and Republicans have called for Boasberg to be impeached and removed, although a three-judge appeals court panel upheld his ruling. —Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 28 Mar. 2025 An appeals court upheld Hall’s conviction in a unanimous, 3-0 decision, last year. —Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2025 The court, meanwhile, started to uphold New Deal policies. —Henry Gass, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for uphold
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uphold
  1. defend
  2. sustain
  3. lift
  4. maintain
  5. carry
  6. raise
  7. justify
  8. support
Verb
  • The judge defended his decision, citing the fact that Sullivan has no permanent residence, has been admitted to a hospital since her arrest for mental health reasons, has no prior criminal record and has not failed to appear in court as reasons why house arrest is not necessary.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Additionally, on Thursday, March 27, Burgess defended her and Green’s co-parenting relationship with Fox.
    — Charna Flam, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of defend
Verb
  • Just as each surgeon relies on a nurse, scrub tech, anesthesiologist, and others, every healthcare job sustains additional roles in ancillary industries—such as food services, transportation, and construction—through spending and operational demands.
    — Richard Menger MD MPA, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
  • Phoebe Beltran sustained several cuts on her right arm and had to be hospitalized after she was attacked by the marine animal Sunday in Long Beach, about 24 miles south of Los Angeles, NBC Los Angeles and KTLA5 reported.
    — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2025
Definition of sustain
Verb
  • Shutting off fossil fuels isn’t an option when the priority is lifting hundreds of millions into the middle class.
    — Jemma Green, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Simeone tried to lift his team, bellowing at Rodrigo De Paul at one point and putting his arm around Alvarez’s shoulder the next.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of lift
Verb
  • The Trump administration’s policies have led to actions such as the withdrawal of federal funding from institutions maintaining DEI programs.
    — Jason Wingard, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • In addition to the discomfort felt in such areas, people with hip pain may also experience swelling, increased tenderness, bruising, difficulty walking, maintaining posture or even trouble sleeping.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of maintain
Verb
  • Swenson risked his life to carry the wounded to safety.
    — Julie Depenbrock, NPR, 31 Mar. 2025
  • The bag is comfortable to carry and made from a durable nylon fabric that can withstand heavy gear.
    — Christopher Murray, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Definition of carry
Verb
  • By comparison, Fine raised less than $1 million between November 26, 2024, and March 3.
    — Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2025
  • Questions have been raised for years regarding the level of care at the institution.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 30 Mar. 2025
Definition of raise
Verb
  • Officials were pressed to justify the action on Sunday morning news shows, where again the confused messaging was apparent.
    — Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2025
  • The law was originally justified as helping to ensure worker safety on the job, prior to the establishment of federal and state labor protections.
    — John Faso, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of justify
Verb
  • The survey, conducted in late March among 1,500 voters, found that, while 83% of Democrats support financial assistance to Kyiv, 79% of Republicans oppose it.
    — Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
  • The organization supports the youth of St. Thomas through basketball mentorships.
    — Emily Blackwood, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of support

Browse Nearby Words

uphills
uphold
upholding
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Cite this Entry

“Uphold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uphold. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

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