uphold
Americanverb (used with object)
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upholds,
present (3rd person singular)
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upheld,
past participle, past
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upholding
present participle
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to support or defend, as against opposition or criticism.
He fought the duel to uphold his family's honor.
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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.
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to lift upward; raise.
The pilgrims upheld their eyes and thanked heaven for their safe journey.
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British.
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to upholster.
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to maintain in good condition; take care of.
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verb
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to maintain, affirm, or defend against opposition or challenge
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to give moral support or inspiration to
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rare to support physically
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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
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upholdsimple
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upholdssimple
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have upheldperfect
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has upheldperfect
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am upholdingprogressive
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are upholdingprogressive
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is upholdingprogressive
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have been upholdingperfect progressive
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has been upholdingperfect progressive
Past
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upheldsimple
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had upheldperfect
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was upholdingprogressive
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were upholdingprogressive
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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
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Ghost Boys
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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:
"We hope that France and Germany, as major economies in the world, will uphold openness, cooperation and free trade," the commerce ministry said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
The prime minister said they were "working together" to uphold the principles of the peace deal for Northern Ireland.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
The influential leaders of UCLA’s Academic Senate sent a more measured letter to Frenk about their “concerns and reservations,” urging administrators and faculty to work together to uphold academic freedom.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Burnham added that as "co-custodians of the Good Friday Agreement, we are working together to uphold its principles as we approach the 30th anniversary".
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Sonny has sworn to uphold Deborah’s desire to gain recognition for their mother.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
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
Gilles Bouleau, the news anchor, repeatedly pressed her on what she will do if France’s high court upholds the appellate ruling and requires her to wear an electronic bracelet—an unprecedented scenario.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
The ruling essentially upholds similar bans enacted in 25 other states.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
Plaid Cymru said it "wants a fair, rules-based system of controlled migration that works for Wales, meets the needs of our communities, reflects Wales' unique challenges, and that upholds our values".
From BBC ● Apr. 23, 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
"However, that must include the law being upheld and our legal rights being given effect."
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
In 1998, the newly-established Parades Commission, which adjudicates on marching disputes, ruled that the Orange Order should not march down the road - a decision that was upheld for the past 28 years.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
The decision was upheld late Wednesday by the electoral court.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
A US appeals court upheld on Friday the Pentagon's decision to exclude Anthropic from its supply chain, a decision taken when the AI startup refused to remove certain safeguards on its Claude model.
From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026
The four anchors and the great weight they upheld.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Still, it’s worth upholding this turnaround as an example of why speaking out on animal rights can be successful.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
The Walter family issued a press release that said it is upholding its philanthropic commitments and highlighted its funding to Academy Group.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
"It's certainly going to be tricky for the court to thread the needle," said Sankar, between upholding the administration's position and giving the oil companies what they seek.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Lee offered no explanation of why he was upholding her sentence.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
Demigods like Percy were still responsible for carrying on Roman traditions in modern times—fighting monsters, serving the gods, protecting mortals, and upholding the memory of the empire.
From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan
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.
