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

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 uphold In reality, for decades Netanyahu has upheld Israel's policy of ambiguity. MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025 For example, the court in January upheld a law aimed at banning TikTok just weeks after the social media giant appealed a lower court’s ruling. Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025 Last week, an appeals court affirmed Chen’s authority, upheld his March order and ruled that Homeland Security had improperly ended the protections. Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025 Brett Korte, an attorney with Clean Wisconsin, said lawmakers over decades have created rules to protect Wisconsin water and the DNR must uphold those protections. Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for uphold
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uphold
Verb
  • But the way Herbert flashed early in his career, tossing seven touchdown passes and only one interception in a 2021 season sweep of the defending AFC champion Chiefs, had come to feel like a tease.
    Mike Sando, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Responding to Joe Starnes, a Democratic congressman from Alabama, Flanagan proved to be a tough witness and defended the project as being a cure for American inactivity.
    Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Few characters, real or imaginary, have sustained this type of stage and screen presence for so many decades.
    Michael Taube, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Everyone’s voice matters, and everyone is expected to contribute—not just creatively, but in building and sustaining the project as a whole.
    Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The lockdown was later lifted, but the university said access to campus would remain restricted to students, faculty, and staff with a valid school ID as local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies continued to investigate the threat.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
  • This process lifts stains without increasing their surface area, which can be an issue when scrubbing by hand with a cloth or brush.
    Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This means regularly assessing your thinking skills, consciously choosing when to engage versus delegate mental tasks, and maintaining practices that keep your mind sharp.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • When asked about the changing landscape of college athletics, Calipari said more regulations need to be put in place, including tougher restrictions on transfers and years that players are able to maintain eligibility.
    Michael Harley, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The couple recently came under much media scrutiny when Abby and her conjoined twin sister, Brittany, both 35, were spotted carrying a newborn baby while running errands last month.
    Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The powerful currents of flash floods can carry drivers off the road.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The deal, brokered after a standoff between state and county officials resulting from a disagreement over whether to raise assessments this year, means homeowners will see a nearly 7% increase above their 2024 property valuation.
    Madeline King, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The Bundy family said information about the object removed from Ryan Bundy’s arm could raise more questions in the incident.
    Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • That explains why the two-perspective structure couldn’t be justified in an episode like this and exposes the weakness of the conceit in the first place.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The excitement may be justified, but so is the concern when regulatory structures fail to keep pace with demand.
    Lindsay O'Neill, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The red edges and soft fabric give them an elegant look while their memory foam insole keeps feet supported and comfortable with every step.
    Melody Kazel, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
  • For Jamaica, how and where field event athletes can be better supported, and, for governing bodies, whether multiple medallists moving from one country to another at once sets another bad precedent.
    Liam Tharme, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Uphold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uphold. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

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