uphold

verb

up·​hold (ˌ)əp-ˈhōld 

upheld (ˌ)əp-ˈheld  ; upholding

transitive verb

1

a

: to give support to

uphold a tradition

uphold the Constitution

b

: to support against an opponent

2

a

: to keep elevated

b

: to lift up

3

law : to judge to be valid : let stand

uphold a statute

The court upheld the agency's decision.

upholder noun

Synonyms of uphold

• defend
• maintain
• justify

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 Web

Attorneys for the Legislature and state agencies countered that the exemptions are legal, have already been upheld by other courts, and that the case should be dismissed. — ABC News, 29 July 2026

Unlike Superman and Captain America, he isn’t written to uphold moral ideals. — Sophia Morano, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

The colleague who used force in this incident was fired, according to the lawsuit, and the personnel board upheld that termination. — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 29 July 2026

That suggests that the supreme court — which did not examine the 2025 law changes in the hearing—might not uphold the government’s sweeping changes, which stripped millions overnight of their status as dormant Italians. — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 29 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing uphold

• uphold the decision

Rhymes for uphold

• ahold
• behold
• billfold
• blindfold
• cajoled
• consoled
• controlled
• cotswold
• eightfold
• enfold
• enrolled
• extolled

Kids Definition

uphold

verb

up·​hold (ˌ)əp-ˈhōld 

upheld -ˈheld  ; upholding

1

: to give support to

promise to uphold the law

2

a

: to keep elevated

b

: to lift up

upholder noun

Legal Definition

uphold

transitive verb

up·​hold

upheld; upholding

: to judge valid : let stand

uphold an award

specifically : to hold constitutional

uphold the practice of having religious invocations and benedictions at high school graduation ceremonies

—Sands v. Morongo Unified Sch. Dist., 809 P.2d 809 (1991)(dissent)

uphold a statute