upheld

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive

   Supported or confirmed a decision, law, or principle, especially when it was challenged.

   Grammar: Takes an object: The court upheld the ruling. It is the past tense and past participle of uphold.

   Patterns

   • upheld a decision
   • upheld the law
   • upheld a principle

   The appeals court upheld the original verdict.

   The committee upheld the ban on smoking in public places.

   She upheld the company's policy despite criticism.

2. 2verbtransitive

   Maintained or defended something, such as a standard or tradition, over time.

   Grammar: Takes an object: They upheld the tradition for generations.

   Patterns

   • upheld a tradition
   • upheld standards
   • upheld someone's rights

   The community upheld its traditions for centuries.

   He upheld the highest standards of journalism.

   The organization upheld the rights of workers.

Word forms

Common combinations

upheld by the court

The decision was upheld by the court.

unanimously upheld

The ruling was unanimously upheld.

upheld on appeal

The conviction was upheld on appeal.

upheld the ban

The judge upheld the ban on plastic bags.

Synonyms and how they differ

confirmed

More general; can refer to facts or appointments, while upheld is typically used for legal or formal decisions.

sustained

Often used in legal contexts for objections or rulings, but less common for principles or traditions.

supported

Broader; can mean provided help or encouragement, not just confirmed a decision.

Opposites

Word family

uphold verb

To support or confirm a decision.

upholder noun

A person who supports or defends something.

upholding noun

The act of supporting or confirming.

Commonly confused: upheld or upheld?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “upheld”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words