upstanding

adjective

ˌəp-ˈstan-diŋ How to pronounce upstanding (audio)
Definition of upstandingnext
1
as in honorable
following the accepted rules of moral conduct a fine, upstanding woman who deserves to be nominated to the state's highest court

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vertical
rising straight up not a single wall remained upstanding after the tornado had passed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 upstanding Other than stealing a car in his late teens, McCurley had appeared to be an upstanding citizen. — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2026 However, that would change in the 1960s when the countercultural movement became the new enemy of all upstanding, tax-paying citizens. — Literary Hub, 29 July 2026 But did Spilotro go about life as an upstanding model citizen who rubbed elbows with the Vegas elite, while quietly and stealthily protecting the Mafia's financial interests in Vegas casinos? — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 23 June 2026 There’s a striking tension between Hildebrand’s status as one of the country’s most prolific polluters and his otherwise conventional life as a God-fearing, upstanding Texas businessman. — Alex Cuadros, ProPublica, 16 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for upstanding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upstanding
  1. honorable
  2. vertical
  3. honest
  4. standing
  5. ethical
  6. erect
  7. respectable
  8. upright
Adjective
  • Central to the exhibition is the tension between the honorable and the immoral, the appealing and the revolting.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Dealing with the British, his Tenzing is scrupulous and honorable, but don’t confuse that with subservience.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of honorable
Adjective
  • While the harbor itself can get pretty chilly in winter, the outdoor first-floor pools benefit from a sustainable vertical ground-source heat pump system providing year-round heating.
    — Laura Hall, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Ueda explained that the film was an adaptation of sorts, born from a 30-episode microdrama series designed for social media, hence the vertical aspect ratio.
    — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of vertical
Adjective
  • My honest read on timing is that the five percent will be twenty percent by end of 2027, and fifty by end of 2029.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The original impetus for the film, to be honest, was to look at an incredible life story over a long German period.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of honest
Adjective
  • This keeps directors out of operational decisions, which are rightly management’s to make, while giving the board a standing basis for treating the vote as the opening obligation of oversight rather than its conclusion.
    — Amer Al Ahbabi, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Combined with coastal flooding associated with king tides, the rainfall could lead to more standing water in some areas.
    — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of standing
Adjective
  • Put another way, in bringing the footage into the realm of film, and not reality television—his domain—Fielder breached some ethical standard.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The collaboration with De Beers Group and Grandview Klein Diamonds is one of ethical sourcing and complete traceability.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of ethical
Adjective
  • Closing the loop Workers erect scaffolding at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, June 12, 2026.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Black bears have a broad skull, small eyes, erect ears, thick fur, and a short tail.
    — Molly Burford, Southern Living, 22 July 2026
Definition of erect
Adjective
  • His page has a respectable few thousand followers, but nothing stratospheric.
    — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The only difference was that Fabian Ruiz, a respectable 12th in our rankings, was an even more respectable 10th in the ‘real’ standings.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of respectable
Adjective
  • Turn the volume up and that pinhole dilates, revealing swirling galaxies of vocal harmonies, upright bass plucks, and cascading piano runs.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Thanks to the single-floor layout, both are easy to access without awkwardly climbing ladders and both also offer ample headroom to stand upright.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of upright

Browse Nearby Words

upsides
upstanding
upstart
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Cite this Entry

“Upstanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upstanding. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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