Synonyms of uphold

uphold

verb

(ˌ)əp-ˈhōld 

1

as in to defend

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

• defend
• maintain
• justify
• support
• affirm
• advocate
• assert
• proclaim
• stick up for
• stand up for
• confirm
• vindicate
• insist
• discuss
• espouse
• plead
• contend
• emphasize
• argue
• profess
• claim
• champion
• state
• protest
• warrant
• aver
• underline
• avow
• debate
• underscore
• avouch
• stress

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• withdraw
• abandon
• forsake
• retract
• take back
• reverse
• switch
• recant
• abjure
• refute
• disprove
• rebut
• controvert

2

as in to sustain

to hold up or serve as a foundation for

an entablature upheld by a series of gracefully slender columns

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sustain
• carry
• support
• bolster
• stay
• underpin
• buttress
• bear
• undergird
• brace
• shore (up)
• prop (up)
• underlie
• steady
• truss

3

as in to lift

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

• lift
• raise
• elevate
• uplift
• hoist
• heighten
• take up
• boost
• heave
• hike
• up
• pick up
• crane
• heft
• rise
• ascend
• perk (up)
• jack (up)
• upraise
• mount
• upend
• rear

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• drop
• lower
• fall
• descend
• push
• slip
• bear
• plunge
• dip
• press
• depress
• pitch
• sink
• submerge

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

Recent Examples of uphold

For example, the Court upheld the Social Security Act in 1937 and upheld state minimum wage laws after previously ruling against them. —Mikayla Bunnell, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2026

On the other hand, the court upheld limits on what supporters can contribute directly. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 Feb. 2026

Since the mayor does not run federal immigration enforcement, the duty is to protect citizens by providing public safety in order to uphold the law. —Killian Baarlaer, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Feb. 2026

The attorney general’s office and some of Nikki’s family, however, have argued there is still enough proof of abuse to uphold Roberson’s death sentence. —Jamie Landers, Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026