upheld 1 of 2

adjective

as in uplifted

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upheld

2 of 2

verb

past tense of uphold
1
as in defended
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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sustained
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 lifted
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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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 upheld
Adjective
In the accompanying photo, Fleetwood and his new bride, Elizabeth Jordan lean into one another, cheekily posing behind Fleetwood's upheld fedora. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026 Guest conductor Edward Gardner, principal conductor of the London Philharmonic, was obviously frustrated when even his upheld hands couldn’t stop the applause. — Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
An appeals court upheld that ruling, and in early 2026 the state declined to appeal to the Supreme Court. — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026 Several political parties sought a review of the first-round vote, but the results were upheld. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026 Neither Talwani’s decision nor the Supreme Court ruling upheld the policy’s legality. — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026 The second tally upheld the original result and Strada was declared the winner. — Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026 The court upheld the $14 million front-pay award but remanded the issue back to the trial court for further review. — Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 25 Aug. 2026 But the Israeli Army always theoretically upheld itself to a higher moral ground. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026 The re-inspection resulted in the closure and red placard being upheld after inspectors found eight live German and Turkistan cockroaches throughout the facility, plus seven dead and dying nymph cockroaches. — Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026 The settlement comes after an appeals court upheld a $495 million judgment against Abbott in the high-profile case earlier this year. — Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upheld
  1. uplifted
  2. defended
  3. sustained
  4. lifted
  5. raised
  6. justified
  7. carried
  8. elevated
Adjective
  • But Starbucks has a few months of soft openings under its belt to see how the uplifted stores are performing in Chicago, and Williams said the early returns are promising.
    — Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
  • For those weighed down by adult concerns, watching an episode leaves them feeling uplifted.
    — Scot Paltrow, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of uplifted
Verb
  • The 48-year-old just fiercely defended him in a lengthy statement to UsWeekly.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The Department of Homeland Security has defended its actions, telling CNN in a statement that those deported received due process and had final orders of removal.
    — Mick Krever, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of defended
Verb
  • The woman was able to leave the residence before officers arrived and was later taken to Aurora Medical Center in Burlington for injuries sustained in the assault.
    — Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Absent new domestic discoveries of the scale and accessibility needed to replace them, overall production could not be sustained.
    — David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of sustained
Verb
  • Wednesday’s topping-out ceremony, when a construction crew lifted the final structural beam into place, doesn’t change that.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • CrowdStrike's results lifted shares of fellow cybersecurity giant Palo Alto Networks, up more than 10% on Thursday.
    — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of lifted
Adjective
  • Like the full flagships, the FE is getting a raised camera bump similar to what’s been installed on the Galaxy Z Fold series for a couple of generations now.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Definition of raised
Verb
  • Dedicated reconstruction funds are common in postconflict states, and a sovereign wealth fund may be justified to streamline the management of fragmented, distressed, and historically poorly managed public assets.
    — Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Chami noted that the price for working with content creators varies from $250-$1,000 per post, and justified rates that are on the higher end of the spectrum.
    — Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of justified
Verb
  • Norman carried his district and the upstate, where the Grahams were raised and where conservative voters had been most critical of the late senator.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Ukraine resumed drone attacks on Moscow overnight into Wednesday morning, the city's Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said, hours after the departure of the plane that carried CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Moscow for an unannounced visit on Tuesday morning.
    — David Brennan, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of carried
Verb
  • The color isn’t a precise measurement of toxicity, but a visual cue that glycoalkaloids may be elevated.
    — Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Fourteen years after geeking out over his MSG debut, Styles, now 32, commanded the storied building with new authority, electricity, and dazzling production value that elevated it above any of the six shows of his I’ve seen before.
    — Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of elevated

Browse Nearby Words

upheaving
upheld
uphill
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Cite this Entry

“Upheld.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upheld. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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