Definition of uphold in English:

verbupheld

• 1Confirm or support (something which has been questioned)

  ‘the court upheld his claim for damages’

  More example sentences

  • ‘The courts eventually upheld her claim to the property, but only because she had no son to inherit it.’
  • ‘The release of the film could be halted if a plagiarism claim is upheld by a High Court judge next week.’
  • ‘A recent Court of Appeal decision upheld an insurer's right to refuse a claim for theft because keys had been left in a car.’
  • ‘The Indonesian courts upheld Mr Haryanto's claim and rejected Man's claim.’
  • ‘It was the first time a school had taken a stand in the courts to uphold its educational philosophy, Warder said.’
  • ‘The defendants were found liable and the Court of Appeal upheld the verdict.’
  • ‘An Ontario court upholds Canada's bankruptcy law, which prevents students from declaring bankruptcy on student loans until 10 years after they graduate.’
  • ‘She admits that while the court upholds a woman's legal rights, this does not guarantee her safety outside the court.’
  • ‘The Swindon-based Gooden family now faces an anxious wait to find out whether the Court of Appeal upholds the challenge.’
  • ‘Credit Card debts are unsecured and no court will uphold their position despite their threat to sue you.’
  • ‘It is to be noted that the Supreme Court has upheld a citizen's right not to join the singing of the national anthem.’
  • ‘That conviction was upheld by the Court of First Instance in March this year.’
  • ‘The U.S. Court of Appeals upheld marijuana as a dangerous drug with a high potential for abuse.’
  • ‘The High Court upheld his freedom of expression in overturning the conviction.’
  • ‘Our current by-law was challenged as unconstitutional and the courts upheld the law.’
  • ‘One prisoner had his right to vote upheld by a High Court decision last June.’
  • ‘The ban on hunting with dogs, which comes into force tomorrow, was upheld by the Appeal Court yesterday.’
  • ‘In Florida, the court upheld the right of a dental patient to write about her bad experience.’
  • ‘The conviction was recently upheld by the European court of human rights.’
  • ‘Katie Sierra's suspension was proposed by her school and upheld by the courts.’

  Synonyms

  confirm, endorse, sustain, validate, ratify, verify, vindicate, justify, approve

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  1. 1.1Maintain (a custom or practice)
     ‘they uphold a tradition of not causing distress to living creatures’
     More example sentences

     • ‘As a teacher, he was conservative and upheld the traditional techniques of teaching.’
     • ‘We shall continue to uphold the noble tradition upon which our church has been built.’
     • ‘It helps keep the village running smoothly and upholds the village's customs.’
     • ‘The obsession with upholding tradition has strengthened the common perception of tennis as an elitist hobby.’
     • ‘It is great to see the old traditions being upheld in the area and long may this trend continue.’
     • ‘I'm glad to see that some conservatives aren't embarrassed about upholding decency.’
     • ‘Women were forced to resign office jobs upon marriage, and this tradition was upheld well into the 1950s.’
     • ‘The York Vale League upholds the traditions of village cricket, which is untarnished by some of the issues surrounding the professional game.’
     • ‘As you may be aware I am the Speaker of the House of Commons and it is incumbent upon me to honour and uphold the noble traditions of the House.’
     • ‘It shouldn't surprise us if those trying to uphold this tradition are accused of being its heretics and saboteurs.’
     • ‘If novels did not uphold the lifestyle of the republic, they were dismissed as decadent.’
     • ‘At least in one respect there is a sense of traditions being upheld.’
     • ‘Let us as Indians, uphold our tradition of fighting such racial prejudice.’
     • ‘Iceland also upholds another Norse tradition - using patronymics rather than surnames.’
     • ‘Ancestors are seen as upholding the tradition, law, and values of society.’
     • ‘But he told them that they should strive to uphold its traditions and act without fear or favour.’
     • ‘You have a responsibility to the community to uphold responsible journalism.’
     • ‘The right to our citizenship, however, carries the duty to uphold our traditions.’
     • ‘Laws and regulations often can support nurses in upholding the ethical principles involved.’
     • ‘At the same time, Unicef will uphold its support of the code and will continue to call violators of the code to account publicly.’
     Synonyms

     maintain, sustain, continue, preserve, protect, keep, hold to, keep alive, keep going, strengthen, nurture

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