1
as in defends
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sustains
to hold up or serve as a foundation for
an entablature upheld by a series of gracefully slender columns
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in lifts
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of upholds
Can anyone claim that the current policy upholds this principle?
—
Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 11 Feb. 2026
In a league that still recites diversity statements and upholds Rooney Rule interview requirements, no Black head coaches were hired.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
That support has given me the strength to keep pushing forward, for integrity, accountability, and a sport that truly upholds the values that brought us together to compete.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The statement said Caldwell upholds the rights to peaceful assembly and free speech guaranteed in the First Amendment, and said Caldwell Police Department officers and other public safety agencies would be present.
—Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 22 Jan. 2026
The Foundation upholds Alfred Nobel’s will and its stipulations.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 18 Jan. 2026
Hawaii says its law, passed in 2023, upholds both the right to bear arms and a property owner’s right to keep out guns.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026
Its boxy, bold look upholds Subaru’s safety-focused, outdoorsy image, with signature symmetrical all-wheel drive.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2026
This upholds an earlier injunction from Jackson to ensure the agency would continue to exist as congressionally mandated, and to stop efforts to shutter the CFPB, including through layoffs.
—Stephan Bisaha, NPR, 30 Dec. 2025
Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 11 Feb. 2026
In a league that still recites diversity statements and upholds Rooney Rule interview requirements, no Black head coaches were hired.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
That support has given me the strength to keep pushing forward, for integrity, accountability, and a sport that truly upholds the values that brought us together to compete.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The statement said Caldwell upholds the rights to peaceful assembly and free speech guaranteed in the First Amendment, and said Caldwell Police Department officers and other public safety agencies would be present.
—Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 22 Jan. 2026
The Foundation upholds Alfred Nobel’s will and its stipulations.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 18 Jan. 2026
Hawaii says its law, passed in 2023, upholds both the right to bear arms and a property owner’s right to keep out guns.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026
Its boxy, bold look upholds Subaru’s safety-focused, outdoorsy image, with signature symmetrical all-wheel drive.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2026
This upholds an earlier injunction from Jackson to ensure the agency would continue to exist as congressionally mandated, and to stop efforts to shutter the CFPB, including through layoffs.
—Stephan Bisaha, NPR, 30 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upholds
Verb
-
While some critics have dismissed de Jesus' work as simplistic, Evaristo defends her unconventional style.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Somehow, the right to protest became an expression of an ideology that defends criminality.—
Roger Van Zanen,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Prohibition undermines personal liberty, sends billions in potential revenue to other states, and sustains dangerous black markets instead of replacing them with a safe, regulated system.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Medicaid exists to provide access to health care, not to penalize the unpaid labor that sustains families and communities.—
Emily D. Tisdale,
STAT,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
After the fog lifts this morning, skies across the area will stay cloudy to mostly cloudy.—
Steven Sosna,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The House bill, and its Senate counterpart, Senate Bill 594, which passed on Wednesday, lifts that restriction.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Every clash justifies the next.—
Joe Palaggi,
Twin Cities,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Cole justifies The Fall-Off’s double-disc length by focusing each half on a trip home, at ages 29 and 39, representing two different points in his mission to be the greatest.—
Benny Sun,
Pitchfork,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Founded with a commitment to mental well-being and self-acceptance, Rare Beauty seeks to redefine how the beauty industry supports mental health.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Caldwell Mayor Eric Phillips supports the bill, and the city began preparing for a potential transition to council districts in summer 2025, spokesperson Char Jackson said.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
As more than 10 nations in Europe are participating in the F-35 program, this raises concerns related to Trump’s tariff-heavy diplomacy.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The increasing integration of blockchain and the finance industry raises uncomfortable questions of whether crypto is betraying its founding ideals, which saw Bitcoin as a rebellion against the big bank and government control of the financial system.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence.—
Barbara Hoberock,
Oklahoman,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The sneaker’s tongue and shoelaces appear to have been given a vintage-esque off-white treatment, and the black toe features a new ripstop material, but the style otherwise maintains the original details of the 1995 Neon colorway.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Unlike most hydroelectric plants, it is not located at the base of the dam, but carries water down about 1,000 feet in elevation to generate more water pressure and electricity.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
14 Feb. 2026
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While smoking is widely understood to pose health risks, the habit also carries steep financial consequences.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upholds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upholds. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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