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

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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 In the original film, Peck stars as a decent family man and an upstanding member of the community, not far removed from Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, a role Peck had played that same year. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 5 June 2026 In its archetypal form, the seduction plot features a sybaritic aristocrat who attempts to debauch an upstanding daughter of the bourgeoisie. — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026 The series follows an upstanding family man who spirals into a life of crime after killing someone in a bicycle accident, driven by the noble but futile goal of never hurting anyone ever again. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 17 May 2026 Adams said Stair is an upstanding citizen who built his company from nothing nearly 20 years ago. — John Diedrich, jsonline.com, 27 Apr. 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
  • The group meets monthly and is open to those with honorable, general and other-than-honorable discharges.
    — Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 2 Sep. 2026
  • All persons having business before this honorable court are admonished to draw near and give their attention, for the court is now sitting.
    — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of honorable
Adjective
  • In the last big vertical ladder section, Hector and I reached peak levels of awareness of our surroundings.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The company conducted the flights using its Chaparral hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft in Louisiana.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of vertical
Adjective
  • Rational, honest people understand that a part of her appeal is to middle America, particularly white people in middle America.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • There’s a lot in this film to be honest, but the first one that comes to mind is probably a moment where Tyler is leading his group in a conversation with the king for the first time.
    — Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of honest
Adjective
  • It's based on a double-axle trailer and finished in standing seam metal, with Georgia pine accents, plus black windows and a black metal roof.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Skubal wrapped up his deepest start of his Dodgers tenure to a standing ovation.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of standing
Adjective
  • In neither case, by today's standards, were the operations fair or ethical on a number of fronts.
    — Space.com Staff, Space.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • As these tasks fell outside the scope of the employees' official duties, the directive amounted to a violation of ethical standards, the report concluded.
    — Andrea Hsu, NPR, 4 Sep. 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
  • It’s been a respectable run, but both of those seasons ended in dispiriting wild-card knockouts.
    — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The respectable but not outsized viewership was coupled with the high cost for the lavish production, which filmed both color and black & white versions.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of respectable
Adjective
  • Both are very similar and contain double beds, with ample headroom to stand upright thanks to their ground-floor position.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The travel bag has a roomy interior department designed to keep bottles upright to prevent spills on the go.
    — Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 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 10 Sep. 2026.

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