Uphold

Choose the Right Synonym for uphold

SUPPORT, UPHOLD, ADVOCATE, BACK, CHAMPION mean to favor actively one that meets opposition.

SUPPORT is least explicit about the nature of the assistance given.

supports waterfront development

UPHOLD implies extended support given to something attacked.

upheld the legitimacy of the military action

ADVOCATE stresses urging or pleading.

advocated prison reform

BACK suggests supporting by lending assistance to one failing or falling.

refusing to back the call for sanctions

CHAMPION suggests publicly defending one unjustly attacked or too weak to advocate his or her own cause.

championed the rights of children

Examples of uphold in a Sentence

He took an oath to uphold the Constitution.They have a responsibility to uphold the law.The Court of Appeals upheld his conviction.

Recent Examples on the WebHe was handed a three-year prison sentence in 2021—two years suspended and one served under house arrest—which was upheld despite Sarkozy’s appeal.—Koh Ewe, TIME, 31 May 2024Plus, Trump is going to appeal, so any real consequences, if the verdict is upheld, potentially won’t come for months.—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 31 May 2024Google appealed, but the NLRB upheld its ruling in January of this year.—Emilia David, The Verge, 30 May 2024But the Supreme Court upheld campus speech protections in 1967 and onward.—Charles Homans Gabra Zackman Anna Diamond Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 29 May 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘uphold.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. about these examples.