as in respect
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1
as in defending
to continue to declare to be true or proper despite opposition or objections
determined to uphold her views in the face of all challenges
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2
as in sustaining
to hold up or serve as a foundation for
an entablature upheld by a series of gracefully slender columns
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3
as in lifting
to move from a lower to a higher place or position
worshippers upheld their joined hands and sang the praises of the Lord
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Recent Examples of upholding
Literary Hub, 17 June 2026
Protecting judges, prosecutors, public defenders, and court staff is fundamental to guaranteeing access to justice, judicial independence, and the upholding of the democratic order.
—Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
In addition, the NFL alleged that the report card surveys interfered with the union’s upholding of Article 39, Section 5, which mandates that the league and union jointly conduct an anonymous survey at least once every three years regarding players’ opinions on medical care and staff.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2026
Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 17 June 2026
Almost every line feels like a dare to consider a deeper meaning than the mad realities of the gold rush and upholding a dying man’s wish.
—Literary Hub, 17 June 2026
The city's blueprint will help Hong Kong synchronize with and serve the national development plan while upholding a free-market economy, Tse said.
—ABC News, 15 June 2026
There are no majorities for anything, least of all for upholding the rights of the freed slaves in the South.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
The murders of Jimmy Ellis and Elaine Thompson On December 12, 1998, a 21-year-old Lee walked into Jimmy’s Pawn Shop in Orville, Alabama, according to a 2013 federal appeals ruling upholding his conviction and sentence.
—Nina Giraldo, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Federal judges tasked with upholding the law now stand accused of skirting it in these three high-profile incidents this week.
—Carrie Johnson, NPR, 9 June 2026
Under pressure from the officer on the phone, Sandra, her fiancé, and other employees at the establishment are ordered to put Becky through a series of increasingly exploitative and humiliating experiences — all in the name of upholding the law.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026
Warsh at his swearing-in spoke positively about upholding both sides of the dual mandate.
—Matt Peterson, CNBC, 3 June 2026
Noun
Service, intentionally or not, leaves a wide, wild path for a person to project onto the journey, the setting, the suffering of discomforts, the upholding of promise, their close relationship.
—Literary Hub, 17 June 2026
Protecting judges, prosecutors, public defenders, and court staff is fundamental to guaranteeing access to justice, judicial independence, and the upholding of the democratic order.
—Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
In addition, the NFL alleged that the report card surveys interfered with the union’s upholding of Article 39, Section 5, which mandates that the league and union jointly conduct an anonymous survey at least once every three years regarding players’ opinions on medical care and staff.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
The Haitian Bridge Alliance, a rights group that advocates for Haitians immigrants, urged the Supreme Court to reject the government’s ask to end TPS and affirm lower court’s rulings upholding the protections.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 17 June 2026
Almost every line feels like a dare to consider a deeper meaning than the mad realities of the gold rush and upholding a dying man’s wish.
—Literary Hub, 17 June 2026
The city's blueprint will help Hong Kong synchronize with and serve the national development plan while upholding a free-market economy, Tse said.
—ABC News, 15 June 2026
There are no majorities for anything, least of all for upholding the rights of the freed slaves in the South.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
The murders of Jimmy Ellis and Elaine Thompson On December 12, 1998, a 21-year-old Lee walked into Jimmy’s Pawn Shop in Orville, Alabama, according to a 2013 federal appeals ruling upholding his conviction and sentence.
—Nina Giraldo, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Federal judges tasked with upholding the law now stand accused of skirting it in these three high-profile incidents this week.
—Carrie Johnson, NPR, 9 June 2026
Under pressure from the officer on the phone, Sandra, her fiancé, and other employees at the establishment are ordered to put Becky through a series of increasingly exploitative and humiliating experiences — all in the name of upholding the law.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026
Warsh at his swearing-in spoke positively about upholding both sides of the dual mandate.
—Matt Peterson, CNBC, 3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upholding
Noun
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But a little preparation and a healthy respect for wildlife can make all the difference between a great story to tell and a story that ends up on the evening news.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
-
Horror still fights for respect, box office success still gets dismissed as commercial rather than artistic, and a movie made by a YouTube creator will face every condescension the awards ecosystem can muster.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The Inter Miami captain scored a hat trick for defending World Cup champion Argentina in a 3-0 rout of Algeria in their tournament opener.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
17 June 2026
-
But Cape Verde simply did not wilt in a solid, switched-on 4-5-1 defensive shape, compressing space between the lines and defending heroically in their own penalty area to keep the European Champions at bay, and committing only one foul in the process — the fewest ever recorded in a World Cup game.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Investigators determined the victim was Edgar Carlos Garcia, then 39, of Mexico, who died after sustaining fatal injuries during an altercation that took place inside the warehouse.—
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
20 June 2026
-
After spending months helping immigrant families weather the economic fallout of federal immigration enforcement operations in the Twin Cities, Smitten Kitten is asking the community for help sustaining itself.—
Ray Campos,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
Video taken by a member of the audience shows Swift rising from her seat and lifting her arms high above her head to give an enthusiastic standing ovation during the curtain call.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
14 June 2026
-
The first touched down in Lady Lake, lifting roofs off homes and overturning mobile homes.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 June 2026
Noun
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Another is that Texas law accords substantial deference to private associations in their application of membership rules.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
13 June 2026
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Melliti’s performance is one of silent suffering, illustrating Fatima’s deference to her family.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Simpson explained that maintaining her glossy image was emotionally challenging.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 June 2026
-
Statisticians call it an illusory correlation, maintaining that proponents perceive a predictive relationship when actually non exists.—
Chuck Murr,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Your 10th House of Career gains shine as beauty-loving Venus arrives, supporting confident polish and the power of understated presence.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 June 2026
-
State initiatives aimed at supporting fusion research and commercialization have encouraged investment and collaboration, helping establish an ecosystem designed to accelerate technological breakthroughs.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
13 June 2026
Verb
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The miscommunications have once again put the majority leader in a difficult position, raising questions about why the president seems intent on making his life more difficult.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
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Gordon said in kicking off his comments and raising a hand to reveal a rubber finger pad.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upholding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upholding. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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