Synonyms of upheld

upheld 1 of 2

adjective

as in uplifted

Related Words

• uplifted
• raised
• upraised
• overhead
• ascendant
• soaring
• overlooking
• ascending
• upper
• uppermost
• upward
• topmost
• elevated
• upmost
• high
• airy
• nosebleed

Dissimilar Words

• dropped
• low
• lowered
• grounded
• fallen
• descending
• down
• depressed
• sunken
• low-lying
• lowermost
• level
• even
• descendant
• undermost
• nethermost
• abreast

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• defended
• justified
• maintained
• supported
• affirmed
• advocated
• asserted
• proclaimed
• confirmed
• stuck up for
• discussed
• championed
• stood up for
• stated
• vindicated
• insisted
• argued
• pleaded
• contended
• espoused
• emphasized
• protested
• claimed
• averred
• professed
• debated
• warranted
• underscored
• underlined
• avowed
• stressed
• avouched

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abandoned
• withdrew
• reversed
• retracted
• forsook
• switched
• recanted
• took back
• refuted
• abjured
• rebutted
• disproved
• controverted

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

• sustained
• carried
• bolstered
• supported
• stayed
• buttressed
• braced
• underpinned
• propped (up)
• bore
• undergirded
• steadied
• trussed
• shored (up)
• underlay

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lifted
• raised
• elevated
• hoisted
• uplifted
• heightened
• boosted
• heaved
• hiked
• took up
• upped
• picked up
• mounted
• upraised
• ascended
• rose
• hefted
• perked (up)
• craned
• jacked (up)
• reared
• upended

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dropped
• lowered
• fell
• slipped
• pushed
• descended
• pressed
• bore
• plunged
• dipped
• pitched
• depressed
• sank
• submerged

Example Sentences

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

Bardella, Le Pen's protégé, had been waiting in the wings to take her place as the party candidate if the original five-year ban had been upheld. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

Bardella, Le Pen’s protégé, had been waiting in the wings to take her place as the party candidate if the original five-year ban had been upheld. — John Leicester, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

That decision was largely upheld by a federal appeals court earlier this month. — Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026

Earlier this month, a federal appeals court upheld most of the Massachusetts judge’s ruling. — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026

In the appeals court ruling, the panel upheld the lower court’s dismissal of Carter’s claims by finding that Buzbee’s demand letter was sent in anticipation of litigation. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026

In 1948, the Supreme Court found such covenants judicially unenforceable, but Specht explains how communities upheld them nonetheless. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026

Their original claim was thus upheld; the error had only been in the implementation of the method, not the finding itself. — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026

However, the West Berkshire Council had upheld the objections filed in February and, last month, rejected their appeal. — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026