Synonyms

stand up for

Idioms

Also, stick up for. Side with, defend, as in Paul always stands up for what he thinks is right, or Ginny has learned to stick up for her family. The first recorded use of the first term is by Shakespeare in King Lear (1:2), when Edmund, Gloucester's bastard son, says: “Now gods, stand up for bastards!” The colloquial variant was first recorded in 1837.

Example Sentences

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stand up for

Those who stand up for their ideals and principles without compromise, and seek to communicate them clearly, certainly won’t win every election, and they may well suffer for their convictions.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

I’d like to stand up for Dr. Anthony Fauci.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

"Every person should be able to live without fear, to love and to stand up for their rights," she said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026

“I’m always telling my girls that we need to stand up for what we believe in,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

The words exploded out of Wash. “You wouldn’t stand up for your own people if your pants were on fire.”

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

stand up for

Example Sentences

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