Synonyms
Examples of upstanding in a Sentence
upstanding members of the community
a fine, upstanding woman who deserves to be nominated to the state's highest court
Recent Examples on the Web
Led by seemingly upstanding community member William Hale (Robert De Niro), white interlopers systematically marry Osage women, killing off relatives — and eventually their wives — to secure their oil money.
—
Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2023
Brett Wilson, the administrative judge with the county circuit court, remembered Wilkinson as an upstanding judge and member of the community.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 23 Oct. 2023
Teenagers are inveterate risk-takers and boundary pushers, and Discord was motivated to build a system that would rein in their worst impulses and — in the best-case scenario — turn them into upstanding citizens of the internet.
—Casey Newton, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2023
In the war’s aftermath, the Italians remembered their soldiers as brava gente—fine, upstanding people not responsible for the kinds of brutalities the German military inflicted.
—Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2023
An upstanding Bureau of Investigation agent named Tom White (Jesse Plemons) shows up to investigate murders in the community, and eventually cracks the case.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 20 Oct. 2023
Good, upstanding adults, after all, keep a clean house.
—Mari-Jane Williams, Washington Post, 4 Oct. 2023
Private detective Holly Gibney’s investigation into a missing girl leads her to suspect a seemingly upstanding octogenarian couple.
9 LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY (Doubleday, $29).
—Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2023
Private detective Holly Gibney’s investigation into a missing girl leads her to suspect a seemingly upstanding octogenarian couple.
—Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2023
See More
Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2023
Brett Wilson, the administrative judge with the county circuit court, remembered Wilkinson as an upstanding judge and member of the community.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 23 Oct. 2023
Teenagers are inveterate risk-takers and boundary pushers, and Discord was motivated to build a system that would rein in their worst impulses and — in the best-case scenario — turn them into upstanding citizens of the internet.
—Casey Newton, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2023
In the war’s aftermath, the Italians remembered their soldiers as brava gente—fine, upstanding people not responsible for the kinds of brutalities the German military inflicted.
—Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2023
An upstanding Bureau of Investigation agent named Tom White (Jesse Plemons) shows up to investigate murders in the community, and eventually cracks the case.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 20 Oct. 2023
Good, upstanding adults, after all, keep a clean house.
—Mari-Jane Williams, Washington Post, 4 Oct. 2023
Private detective Holly Gibney’s investigation into a missing girl leads her to suspect a seemingly upstanding octogenarian couple.
9 LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY (Doubleday, $29).
—Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2023
Private detective Holly Gibney’s investigation into a missing girl leads her to suspect a seemingly upstanding octogenarian couple.
—Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upstanding.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of upstanding was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing upstanding
Dictionary Entries Near upstanding
Cite this Entry
“Upstanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upstanding. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
upstanding
adjective
up·stand·ing
ˌəp-ˈstan-diŋ 
ˈəp-ˌstan-
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