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

Attorneys for the Legislature and state agencies countered that the exemptions are legal, have already been upheld by other courts, and that the case should be dismissed. — ABC News, 29 July 2026

The colleague who used force in this incident was fired, according to the lawsuit, and the personnel board upheld that termination. — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 29 July 2026

Cloth appealed the jury verdict in that case, but it was upheld by the appellate court last year. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 29 July 2026

The family appealed, and the UIL State Executive Committee upheld the ruling with a unanimous vote. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 July 2026

This ruling was upheld by Spain’s Constitutional Court in 2025, with the intention of returning them to the long-term rental market and easing the housing crisis. — Duncan Madden, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

Filtering mandate went too far The famously conservative 5th Circuit appeals court has upheld several Texas laws imposing obligations on websites and online platforms. — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 27 July 2026

In 2021, France’s highest court upheld a ruling that Koons’s 1988 sculpture Fait d’hiver, based on a 1985 advertisement by photographer Franck Davidovici, infringed the photographer’s copyright. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 22 July 2026

The president scored two wins on his immigration policies, as well as a decision that expanded presidential power over some executive branch officials and upheld restrictions on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 21 July 2026