UPHOLDS Synonyms: 94 Similar and Opposite Words

upholds

verb

present tense third-person singular of uphold

as in defends

to continue to declare to be true or proper despite opposition or objections determined to uphold her views in the face of all challenges

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in sustains

to hold up or serve as a foundation for an entablature upheld by a series of gracefully slender columns

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as in lifts

to move from a lower to a higher place or position worshippers upheld their joined hands and sang the praises of the Lord

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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 upholds In February, President Pamela Whitten and the board of trustees supported and adopted the Chicago Principles, a set of guidelines regarding how the university upholds its free speech environment. — Cate Charron, IndyStar, 9 Sep. 2026 The letter was also sent to Harry and Meghan’s team and upholds Queen Elizabeth’s wishes when Harry and Meghan stepped back from their royal roles in 2020. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 8 Sep. 2026 The ruling Wednesday by a Cole County judge upholds a decision by Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, who had blocked the amendment from the November ballot despite thousands of petition signatures for it. — ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026 If the District Court upholds the denial, your application is considered exhausted. — Brian Sloan, CNBC, 21 July 2026 For many, this new-build option upholds preferential aesthetics while satisfying practical needs and eliminating restoration headaches. — Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 20 July 2026 The ruling essentially upholds similar bans enacted in 25 other states. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026 The ruling upholds laws in 30 states that allow at least some ballots to arrive after Election Day, including ballots from military voters and Americans who live overseas. — Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 One ruling upholds a landmark case dealing with press freedom. — Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 29 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for upholds

Verb

Continue reading … SOUR NOTE — Hayley Williams unleashes vulgar insult at DHS after agency defends ICE officers.

— , FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Hugo Weaving plays a brilliant but disgraced attorney, drowning in debt, who reluctantly defends an allegedly dangerous dog, battling to save its life.

— Emily Longeretta, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of defends

Verb

This difference influences how nuclear fuel behaves and how a reactor sustains fission.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
In this account, its processing does not intrinsically continue the fourfold coherence through which nature sustains intelligence.

— Pravir Malik, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of sustains

Verb

The win got Frosinone back on track after a 3-0 loss to Napoli last weekend and lifts it into fifth place in the Serie A table.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Victory lifts Shakhtar to 11th in the early league-phase table, behind Bayern Munich on goal difference and ahead of both Manchester City and Manchester United.

— Simon Johnson, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of lifts

Verb

Luxury fashion — an industry that justifies its price tag through the promise of human craftsmanship — has enjoyed nodding to robots, and in particular fem-bots, for decades.

— Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
There's also the question of whether the energy transferred justifies the cost and complexity, particularly when conventional fast-charging stations are already expanding.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of justifies

Verb

Jackson supports expanding the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps certain homeowners and renters with energy costs.

— Maydeen Merino, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
The integrated workflow also supports maintenance and repair, helping the team identify hardware issues and return robots to testing faster.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of supports

Verb

Ohio polling raises questions Advertisement As polling consistently shows an advantage for Acton, Republicans are increasingly arguing that the polls may be wrong by just enough to give Ramaswamy the win.

— Philip Elliott, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
The biggest names in movies, music, fashion and beyond pulled out their sartorial best for the annual fundraiser that celebrates cinematic achievement and raises money for the museum.

— Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of raises

Verb

The firm also maintains offices in Broward and Palm Beach counties, and its 52 attorneys focus on community association, real estate, construction, and insurance law.

— Gary M. Mars, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
Daunt, the most important man in bookselling, maintains that a literary culture is something booksellers are well placed to build.

— Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026