uphold
Usage
What are other ways to say uphold?
To uphold applies especially to supporting or backing another, as in a statement, opinion, or belief: to uphold the rights of a minority. To support is to hold up or add strength to, literally or figuratively: The columns support the roof. To maintain is to support so as to preserve intact: to maintain an attitude of defiance. To sustain, a rather elevated word, suggests completeness and adequacy in supporting: The court sustained his claim.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That led them to “reject the mandatory statutes, which they regarded as barbaric, but uphold the guided discretion approach.”
From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026
Human Rights in China, a nongovernmental organization based in New York, urged the South Korean government to uphold humanitarian principles and ensure Dong isn’t returned to China.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
Marissa Roy, DSA’s pick for city attorney, played a gavel-carrying paladin looking to uphold the law.
From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026
The ex-MP - now a member of the Ethics and Integrity Commission, which aims to uphold standards in UK public life - told The Times that "selecting such a candidate undermines trust in politics".
From BBC • May 13, 2026
"Long live any monarch who learns to speak of mercy, pity, and peace while still in his mother's arms. People, behold your king! Beowulf will uphold and protect him as long as he lives!"
From "Beowulf: A New Telling" by Robert Nye
Vocabulary lists containing uphold
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