uphold meaning

uphold means 'to support or maintain something, especially a rule or decision'.

uphold :

to support, to maintain

verb

▪ They uphold the company's policies.

▪ They support the company's rules.

▪ The court upheld the previous decision.

▪ The court maintained the earlier decision.

paraphrasing

▪ support – to back up something

▪ maintain – to keep something

▪ sustain – to keep up something

▪ preserve – to keep something safe


uphold

Pronunciation

uphold [ʌpˈhoʊld]

The stress is on the second syllable 'hold' and sounds like 'up-hold'.

Common phrases and grammar about uphold

uphold - Common meaning

verb
to support, to maintain

Part of Speech Changes for "uphold"

▪ upholder (noun) – someone who supports or maintains something

▪ uphold (verb) – to support or maintain

▪

▪


Common Expressions with "uphold"

▪ uphold the law – to maintain and enforce the legal system

▪ uphold a tradition – to maintain a tradition

▪ uphold one’s responsibilities – to maintain one’s duties

▪ uphold standards – to support or maintain standards


Important examples of uphold in TOEIC

Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC vocabulary questions, uphold is often used to mean to support or maintain something such as rules, laws, or decisions.

▪The judge upheld the verdict.
▪The judge maintained the verdict.

Example of a confusing word: upload (to transfer data)

▪The judge uploaded the verdict.
▪The judge transferred the verdict to the server.
"Uphold" is a transitive verb meaning "to support" or "maintain" a decision or law, as in "The judge upheld the verdict," which is grammatically correct and appropriate in this context. "Upload," however, means "to transfer data to a computer or server" and is unrelated to legal or decision contexts. Using "upload" in this sentence is incorrect because it implies a digital action, not a legal decision. Therefore, "uphold" is the correct choice.

Grammar examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC grammar questions, uphold is used as a transitive verb, requiring an object.

▪They will uphold the company's policies.
▪They will maintain the company's policies.

uphold

Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC

uphold the law

means to maintain and enforce the legal system.

▪The police uphold the law to keep order.
▪The police maintain the legal system to keep order.

uphold one’s reputation

to maintain someone's good name.

▪She worked hard to uphold her reputation.
▪She worked hard to maintain her good name.

Differences between similar words and uphold

uphold

,

support

differences

uphold is to maintain or keep something, while support is to give assistance or help.

uphold
▪They upheld the policy.
▪They supported the policy.
support
▪They support the policy by providing resources.
▪They assist the policy by providing resources.

uphold

,

maintain – to keep something

differences

uphold is to keep something according to rules, maintain is to continue to keep in a certain state.

uphold
▪They upheld the decision.
▪They continue to keep the decision by regularly reviewing it.
maintain – to keep something
▪They maintain the decision by regularly reviewing it.
▪They continue to keep the decision by regularly reviewing it.

Words with the same origin as uphold

The origin of uphold

The word 'uphold' comes from the combination of 'up' and 'hold', meaning to hold up or support something.

Word structure

uphold is composed of the prefix 'up' and the root 'hold'. The word 'hold' means to keep or maintain something.

Words with the same origin

The root of 'uphold' is hold. Words with the same root include hold and holder.

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