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

That case upheld Congress’ authority to lower the voting age to 18 for federal elections but rejected its ability to impose the same requirement on state and local elections. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026

The Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, upheld Yust’s convictions in August 2023, and the Missouri Supreme Court later denied his application to transfer the case for review. — Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026

Their death sentences were upheld by Iran's Supreme Court before being carried out Wednesday morning. — Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026

The new definition removes an interpretation that had been used for half a century, and upheld by the Supreme Court, that harming an endangered species includes eliminating that species’ habitat. — Timothy Randhir, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026

Their death sentences were upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court before being carried out Wednesday morning. — Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 30 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. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

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