uphold
verb
up·hold (ˌ)əp-ˈhōld 
upheld (ˌ)əp-ˈheld ; upholding
; upholding
1
a
: to give support to
uphold a tradition
uphold the Constitution
b
: to support against an opponent
2
a
: to keep elevated
b
: to lift up
3
law : to judge to be valid : let stand
uphold a statute
The court upheld the agency's decision.
upholder noun
Examples of uphold in a Sentence
He took an oath to uphold the Constitution. They have a responsibility to uphold the law. The Court of Appeals upheld his conviction.
Recent Examples on the Web
Separately, a cultivator sued MED, alleging the agency has failed to uphold its statutory duty to protect consumers and prosecute bad actors. —
Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 21 Apr. 2026 The judge upheld the first two convictions but declared a mistrial on the final rape charge after the jury foreperson refused to keep deliberating. —Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026 In 1971, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the use of busing to achieve racial desegregation in schools. —Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026 The case has since taken several turns, with a lower-court ruling in 2021 that the plaintiffs did not have standing and also saying that they were bound by a state Supreme Court 1985 decision upholding the 1982 law. —ABC News, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for uphold
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.
Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 21 Apr. 2026 The judge upheld the first two convictions but declared a mistrial on the final rape charge after the jury foreperson refused to keep deliberating. —Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026 In 1971, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the use of busing to achieve racial desegregation in schools. —Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026 The case has since taken several turns, with a lower-court ruling in 2021 that the plaintiffs did not have standing and also saying that they were bound by a state Supreme Court 1985 decision upholding the 1982 law. —ABC News, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for uphold
Cite this Entry
“Uphold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/uphold. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
uphold
verb
up·hold (ˌ)əp-ˈhōld
upheld -ˈheld ; upholding
; upholding
1
: to give support to
promise to uphold the law
2
a
: to keep elevated
b
: to lift up
upholder noun
Legal Definition
uphold
transitive verb
up·hold
upheld; upholding
: to judge valid : let stand
uphold an award
specifically : to hold constitutional
uphold the practice of having religious invocations and benedictions at high school graduation ceremonies —Sands v. Morongo Unified Sch. Dist., 809 P.2d 809 (1991)(dissent)
Sands v. Morongo Unified Sch. Dist., 809 P.2d 809 (1991)(dissent)
uphold a statute
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