uphold
Americanverb (used with object)
-
upholds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
upheld,
past participle, past
-
upholding
present participle
-
to support or defend, as against opposition or criticism.
He fought the duel to uphold his family's honor.
-
to keep up or keep from sinking; support.
Stout columns upheld the building's heavy roof. Her faith upheld her in that time of sadness.
-
to lift upward; raise.
The pilgrims upheld their eyes and thanked heaven for their safe journey.
-
British.
-
to upholster.
-
to maintain in good condition; take care of.
-
verb
-
to maintain, affirm, or defend against opposition or challenge
-
to give moral support or inspiration to
-
rare to support physically
-
to lift up
Usage
What are other ways to say uphold? To uphold something means to support it or defend it against opposition or criticism. How is uphold different from maintain, support, and sustain? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
upholdsimple
-
upholdssimple
-
have upheldperfect
-
has upheldperfect
-
am upholdingprogressive
-
are upholdingprogressive
-
is upholdingprogressive
-
have been upholdingperfect progressive
-
has been upholdingperfect progressive
Past
-
upheldsimple
-
had upheldperfect
-
was upholdingprogressive
-
were upholdingprogressive
-
had been upholdingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of uphold
First recorded in 1300–1350; Middle English upholden; see up-, hold 1
Explanation
When you uphold something, you stick up for or support it. Police officers are paid to uphold the law, and crazy Elvis fans uphold their belief that he's still alive out there somewhere. If you reverse the two parts of this word, you get hold up. And that's exactly what upholding is: holding up or supporting an idea or practice. You might uphold your dog's innocence, even though it's pretty obvious he dug up the neighbor's flower bed. When America fought for independence, we upheld the idea of fair representation. When you uphold something, you're taking a stand for it.
Vocabulary lists containing uphold
Beowulf vocabulary
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "U"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Ghost Boys
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
“The key point of my statement is that we can uphold academic freedom while also expressing support for members of our community who are hurting,” he wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
For Antigone this is an imposition of political power over divine law, and she puts her life on the line to uphold her obligation to her family and faith.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
“Our efforts to modernize our nuclear forces are intended to safeguard national strategic security and uphold global strategic stability.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
Leigh Day said judges did uphold 2024 findings on night-time premiums, overtime premiums and paid rest breaks.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
You certainly wouldn’t expect them to uphold their 80 percent clip.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
If the company upholds its decision, he should then file a complaint with his state’s insurance department and/or consult an attorney who specializes in property-insurance disputes.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
The order upholds a preliminary injunction won by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued after the administration tore down the East Wing last year to begin the project without congressional approval.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
Ramstetter upholds the Finnish model in which students typically get 15 minutes of recess multiple times a day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
The decision upholds a turn-back policy that began in 2016 as an emergency response to a surge of Haitian immigrants at the San Ysidro border crossing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
We upholds the family’s honor, and we never speaks ill of them — though Professor Dumbledore told Dobby he does not insist upon this.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
When it comes to candy, she tells us, William “frankly upheld the superiority of quantity over quality.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
The Supreme Court upheld the IRS’s decision to deny the school its exemption.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
But on Aug. 7, the appeals court upheld the injunction and announced that its temporary stay would expire on Aug. 21.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026
He was convicted in 2017, with the life sentence upheld on appeal in 2021.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
Judge Ramsbottom, who heard the case, was an example of a judge who refused to be a mouthpiece for the Nationalists and upheld the independence of the judiciary.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
A state appeals court decision upholding the marital status policy is being appealed to the state Supreme Court.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Legal service providers said at the heart of the matter is upholding due process, protecting children from exploitation and ensuring the federal government follows its own laws.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
But it suffered a legal blow in June last year when the EU top court's adviser recommended upholding the fine in an opinion, describing Google's arguments as "ineffective".
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
But its most famous line—“Attention must be paid”—illuminates its greater significance as a drama upholding the importance of the individual, an idea enshrined in the Declaration of Independence itself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
The Civil War was being fought in the hopes of keeping the Union together and upholding the Constitution—not for the abolition of what Southerners liked to call “the peculiar institution.”
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
