Synonym Chooser

How is the word uphold different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of uphold are advocate, back, champion, and support. While all these words mean "to favor actively one that meets opposition," uphold implies extended support given to something attacked.

upheld the legitimacy of the military action

When is advocate a more appropriate choice than uphold?

While the synonyms advocate and uphold are close in meaning, advocate stresses urging or pleading.

advocated prison reform

When is it sensible to use back instead of uphold?

The meanings of back and uphold largely overlap; however, back suggests supporting by lending assistance to one failing or falling.

refusing to back the call for sanctions

When might champion be a better fit than uphold?

The synonyms champion and uphold are sometimes interchangeable, but champion suggests publicly defending one unjustly attacked or too weak to advocate his or her own cause.

championed the rights of children

In what contexts can support take the place of uphold?

While in some cases nearly identical to uphold, support is least explicit about the nature of the assistance given.

supports waterfront development

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 uphold The Little Rock Civil Service Commission this week upheld the firing of a Little Rock police officer who pepper-sprayed a woman outside a nightclub in 2023 while working off-duty. Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2025 If the appeals court upholds the block, the dispute is likely to advance to the Supreme Court. Diane Brady, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025 The decision upheld a previous denial by the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission over traffic concerns raised by city officials and in more than 300 public comments. Rose Evans september 10, Idaho Statesman, 10 Sep. 2025 The decision to deny or uphold an appeal, the statement said, is based on the same national guidelines. Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for uphold
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uphold
Verb
  • But the way Herbert flashed early in his career, tossing seven touchdown passes and only one interception in a 2021 season sweep of the defending AFC champion Chiefs, had come to feel like a tease.
    Mike Sando, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Responding to Joe Starnes, a Democratic congressman from Alabama, Flanagan proved to be a tough witness and defended the project as being a cure for American inactivity.
    Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Few characters, real or imaginary, have sustained this type of stage and screen presence for so many decades.
    Michael Taube, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Everyone’s voice matters, and everyone is expected to contribute—not just creatively, but in building and sustaining the project as a whole.
    Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The lockdown was later lifted, but the university said access to campus would remain restricted to students, faculty, and staff with a valid school ID as local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies continued to investigate the threat.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
  • This process lifts stains without increasing their surface area, which can be an issue when scrubbing by hand with a cloth or brush.
    Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This means regularly assessing your thinking skills, consciously choosing when to engage versus delegate mental tasks, and maintaining practices that keep your mind sharp.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • When asked about the changing landscape of college athletics, Calipari said more regulations need to be put in place, including tougher restrictions on transfers and years that players are able to maintain eligibility.
    Michael Harley, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • At around the same time, a tall, college-aged man carrying a black backpack made his way up the stairwell of the nearby Losee Center, a four-story concrete building that houses the student welcome center, among other things.
    Rick Jervis, USA Today, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Green had 2 carries for 21 yards on the possession, and his 15-yard pass to Jalen Brown on second-and-10 was a key play early in the drive.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Among them were countless era-defining releases that are still among the best movies ever made—of any genre—from the haunting Rebecca to the gripping Rear Window, and the ravishing Vertigo to the hair-raising Psycho.
    Radhika Seth, Vogue, 13 Sep. 2025
  • There were times when raising kids, building careers, and paying bills felt overwhelming.
    Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • That explains why the two-perspective structure couldn’t be justified in an episode like this and exposes the weakness of the conceit in the first place.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The excitement may be justified, but so is the concern when regulatory structures fail to keep pace with demand.
    Lindsay O'Neill, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • With this historic achievement, Tillman now extends that legacy to supporting actor in a drama.
    Okla Jones, Essence, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Adolescence was a big winner on the night, also taking best limited series as well as Erin Doherty winning best supporting actress and Owen Cooper becoming the youngest-ever winner for best supporting actor in a limited series.
    Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Uphold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uphold. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

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