upheld 1 of 2

adjective

as in uplifted

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upheld

2 of 2

verb

past tense of uphold
1
as in defended
to continue to declare to be true or proper despite opposition or objections determined to uphold her views in the face of all challenges

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sustained
to hold up or serve as a foundation for an entablature upheld by a series of gracefully slender columns

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in lifted
to move from a lower to a higher place or position worshippers upheld their joined hands and sang the praises of the Lord

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of upheld
Adjective
In the accompanying photo, Fleetwood and his new bride, Elizabeth Jordan lean into one another, cheekily posing behind Fleetwood's upheld fedora. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026 Guest conductor Edward Gardner, principal conductor of the London Philharmonic, was obviously frustrated when even his upheld hands couldn’t stop the applause. — Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
The state Commission on Judicial Performance upheld 17 findings of misconduct against Judge Robert Draper, 84, according to a disciplinary document made public Tuesday. — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026 Najib has been behind bars since August 2022, when the Kuala Lumpur High Court upheld his graft conviction linked to a multibillion-dollar looting of the state investment fund 1MDB. — ABC News, 10 Nov. 2026 The Court upheld it, a precedent wealth tax supporters point to today. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 10 Nov. 2026 It was again shown via replay, and this time, after further review, the TD was upheld. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 8 Nov. 2026 In a 33-page opinion, a three-judge panel unanimously upheld a lower court’s ruling that Crichton’s estate had presented enough evidence to pursue its claim that The Pitt is an unauthorized reboot of ER. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2026 In July, the state Supreme Court upheld Stayner’s conviction and death sentence for killing four women in 1999 while working as a handyman in Yosemite. — Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2026 Justice Elena Kagan said that the principle the Supreme Court upheld in a 2022 case involving a Maine tuition-assistance program was that the state cannot treat religious institutions differently. — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026 The rule of law must be respected, and the valid decisions of courts must be upheld by the government, even, and perhaps most importantly, when that ruling goes against the government. — David Baldacci, Vanity Fair, 3 Nov. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upheld
  1. uplifted
  2. defended
  3. sustained
  4. lifted
  5. raised
  6. justified
  7. carried
  8. elevated
Adjective
  • Located within an uplifted section of oceanic crust known as an ophiolite, the Bulqizë reservoir generates its own continuous supply of clean energy.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026
  • This team’s confidence needs to remain uplifted, but that’s going to be monumental task to manage if the blowouts begin the pile up.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of uplifted
Verb
  • Kotlikoff defended his leadership, arguing that replacing him would do little to solve complex problems and could damage Cornell’s reputation.
    — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Despite the agency’s claims that its policies are legal, attorneys for the federal government have not defended the re-arrests or the use of unauthorized GPS monitoring.
    — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of defended
Verb
  • The physician described sustained severe soft-tissue injuries to his lower back and buttocks.
    — Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 14 Nov. 2026
  • The 6-foot-10 Texas Tech transfer sustained a lower body injury and has missed the past two games for the Horned Frogs.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Nov. 2026
Definition of sustained
Verb
  • Problems first began to erupt at Vista in early 2024 when providers were not getting paid on time and the Illinois Department of Public Health lifted Vista’s Level II trauma center status for the first time.
    — Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2026
  • No injuries were reported, and the order was lifted after police said there was no ongoing threat.
    — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 13 Nov. 2026
Definition of lifted
Adjective
  • Like the full flagships, the FE is getting a raised camera bump similar to what’s been installed on the Galaxy Z Fold series for a couple of generations now.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Definition of raised
Verb
  • Other than that, there weren’t any wins or losses that justified movement from around the area.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Nov. 2026
  • For student Lucas Petit, who identifies with the far left, the debate goes beyond whether violence is justified.
    — Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of justified
Verb
  • Sánchez has pledged an investigation and improvements to restore trust in the rail system that last year carried 45 million travelers, including millions of tourists.
    — Francisco Seco, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The rockets are carried in launch pods, with six rounds in a HIMARS pod and 12 across the two pods carried by an M270 launcher.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of carried
Verb
  • The most historic victories have come at Viejas Arena as Fisher and Dutcher elevated the program to national relevance, but many of its greatest individual moments were at 3500 Sports Arena Blvd.
    — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Expectations were elevated into the print, thanks to Cardinal shares closing Wednesday at a record high and its two main rivals, Cencora and McKesson , reporting better-than-expected results within the past 24 hours.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of elevated

Browse Nearby Words

upheaving
upheld
uphill
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Cite this Entry

“Upheld.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upheld. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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