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 In an interview celebrating the show's 60th anniversary with PEOPLE last year, Murphy credited the fans for upholding the show's beloved legacy. Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025 The law, which Governor Greg Abbott signed in 2023, and was enacted in September that year, has been upheld by the Texas Supreme Court. Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025 The Supreme Court’s conservative majority dealt another blow to transgender rights in June by upholding Tennessee's state ban. Solcyré Burga, Time, 23 Oct. 2025 She was sentenced to die by firing squad and Indonesia’s highest court upheld it in 2013. CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for uphold
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uphold
Verb
  • Taibleson defended her conservative credentials during her confirmation hearing, and both Democratic and Republican senators derided the opposition campaign.
    Lawrence Andrea, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Fast forward to Monday, and – after a 3-2 defeat to Brentford – Liverpool has now lost four straight games in the Premier League, just the fourth time in history that a defending champion has gone on such a poor run of form, per Opta.
    Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The grandfather sustained severe burns after trying to save the two children from the house fire, KTRK-TV and CBS affiliate KHOU reported.
    Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Surely, Engelhardt suggested, the limits of the human body and brain could not sustain such extreme energy, not for long.
    Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Project Cloud Nita Platform Sneakers The Nita has a platform that lifts you about two inches and contains a cushiony memory foam insole for your heels to sink into.
    Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
  • On Friday, cool September inflation data raised investor optimism that the Federal Reserve will keep cutting interest rates, lifting the present value of future profits and possibly boosting corporate earnings too.
    Yun Li, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Raw eggs in the shell not maintained at 7°C (45°F) or below (walk-in cooler).
    Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Oct. 2025
  • This, the medical profession maintains, is the stuff of fiction.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • North also styled her hair in braids like Dionne and carried a small black leather handbag.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
  • This year, a replica of the Seneca Chief, which carried Clinton in 1825, set out from Buffalo on the canal.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Trump’s lack of specifics on his new 10% Canada tariff raised key questions for Erica York, vice president of federal tax policy at the Tax Foundation.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Owsley Brown Frazier, a fourth-generation descendant of George Garvin Brown, alone raised more than $500 million in his lifetime.
    Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • A little goes a long way, which makes the above-average price point easier to justify.
    Taylor Rock, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2025
  • And as obesity rates among American continue to rank far higher than those of other countries, the survey says this could help justify policy and coverage gains.
    Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez have supported his campaign for months including before the Democratic primary in June.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
  • In the document, Steffen, who has long pushed for the closure of Green Bay correctional, asked the Building Commission members to support Evers' plan and start the planning process.
    Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Uphold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uphold. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

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