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 The Republican administration says the 4th Circuit decision conflicts with rulings by at least three other circuits and, if upheld, will hamper the government's ability to deport immigrants with terrorism ties in many other cases. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026 For me, getting to explore the interior lives of women with a rejection towards society’s pressure to have to uphold some false perfection — that’s really thrilling for me as an artist. — Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026 Wisdom to uphold the law, understand and fight for the needs of Winter Springs, and developing good rapport with parties interested in developing or redeveloping our city must be balanced. — Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026 That decision, upheld on appeal, put the onus on the Continuum of Care, an amorphous entity with a board and open membership that had long functioned as an appendage of LAHSA but actually had the statutory power to hire or fire the agency. — Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026 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
  • Its formula features Concentrated Miracle Broth, antioxidant-rich Lime Tea Concentrate, and Clarity Algae to help defend against free radicals and improve discoloration.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026
  • President Bola Tinubu, who is seeking a second term in January, has repeatedly defended his decision to scrap a years-long subsidy program in 2023 to avoid wasteful spending and invest in infrastructure development.
    — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of defend
Verb
  • The work is intended to help transfer specialized nuclear-submarine design knowledge, improve technical coordination and strengthen the industrial capabilities required to build and sustain advanced submarines over their operational lifetimes.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Expect winds to be sustained winds of 20-25mph with gusts of 30-40mph possible and humidity low overnight recoveries of 30-35% will drop to 15-20% through the morning.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of sustain
Verb
  • According to the team, the coordination is important because pushing or lifting an object changes the forces acting on a humanoid’s body.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
  • What everyday movements reveal Standing from a chair requires a stable base, enough ankle and hip mobility to shift your weight forward, lower body and core strength to lift yourself, and balance to keep you steady.
    — Dana Santas, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of lift
Verb
  • The government, however, has maintained that the ban on the group does not prevent lawful protests in support of pro-Palestinian causes.
    — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Some maintain refugees will not have enough time to defend their status under the new policy.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of maintain
Verb
  • During captive-carry testing, engineers can assess equipment carried by an aircraft before proceeding to more demanding flight demonstrations.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
  • For airlines, the larger plane offers a way to carry more passengers on a single flight, potentially lowering costs per seat.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of carry
Verb
  • Japan has also raised concern over China's gradual escalation of its military activity around remote Japanese islands in the Pacific Ocean.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Still, Converse’s sales hemorrhage raises fair questions about whether this is more than a cyclical decline.
    — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of raise
Verb
  • The targeting of civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, particularly airports, illustrates the retaliatory logic the Houthis have invoked to justify their actions.
    — Laurent Bonnefoy, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
  • There is always a new spectacle, a new gimmick to lure people into a theater and justify the cost of a ticket.
    — Sam Fleischner, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of justify
Verb
  • The ban had been imposed by the central elections committee, a political body dominated by Netanyahu allies, on the basis that the parties supported armed struggle against Israel.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 18 Oct. 2026
  • For a government overseeing a population dominated by mobile expats, that created a lot of uncertainty in terms of establishing an economic base that can support a welfare system and basic state infrastructure.
    — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
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 21 Oct. 2026.

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