Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- transitive verb To hold aloft; raise.
- transitive verb To prevent from falling or sinking; support.
- transitive verb To maintain or affirm: synonym: support.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To hold up; raise or lift on high; keep raised or elevated; elevate.
- To keep erect; keep from sinking or falling; hence, to support; sustain; maintain; keep up; keep from declining or being lost or ruined: as, to
uphold a person, a decision, or a verdict. - To countenance; give aid to: as, to
uphold a lawbreaker. - To warrant; vouch for.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To hold up; to lift on high; to elevate.
- transitive verb To keep erect; to support; to sustain; to keep from falling; to maintain.
- transitive verb To aid by approval or encouragement; to countenance.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb To hold up; to lift on high; to elevate.
- verb To keep erect; to support; to sustain; to keep from falling; to maintain.
- verb To
support by approval or encouragement.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb support against an opponent
- verb keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last
- verb stand up for; stick up for; of causes, principles, or ideals
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Willingly abusing power to break the fundamental laws of the Constitution, a document that our elected officials are SWORN to uphold, is treason.
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This latest incident in Afghanistan shows just how far the country has to go in resolving their attitudes toward women and free speech, and the democracy we struggle to uphold from the Taliban is scarcely any better at all.
I Guess Free Speech And Sharia Law Are Mutually Exclusive « Unambiguously Ambidextrous 2008
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This latest incident in Afghanistan shows just how far the country has to go in resolving their attitudes toward women and free speech, and the democracy we struggle to uphold from the Taliban is scarcely any better at all.
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WIth the departure of Darth Cheney, America will again uphold the rule of law at home and not the petty rule of an oligarch-tyrant who believed “l’etat c’est moi” was the policy for both 300 million Americans as well as untold countless illegally-detained and - tortured overseas in his gulags. —
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However, when I became Circleman of Varagog, like my father before me, I gave my word to uphold the will of the Inner Circle.
Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation Matt Myklusch 2010
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Noa - how can you "uphold" your claim when it is transparently false?
John Terry’s sacking as England captain tells us something interesting... 2009
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It is also not for us to decide the Charlottesville should "uphold" the Constitution either.
Council to Consider Anti-PATRIOT Resolution at cvillenews.com 2003
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And in this way, every other minute some actor or actress would approach Dobek, who solemnly promised to "uphold" them all.
Komediantka. English W��adys��aw Stanis��aw Reymont 1896
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Now, in a deep recession, all of the sudden he wants to "uphold" the law!
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Seoul's Dong-a Ilbo newspaper reported that Kim ordered senior officials at the State Security Department in March to "uphold" his youngest son as head of the agency, while doling out foreign-made luxury cars to the officials as gifts.
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