“Uphold” usually means to support, defend, or keep something going, especially a rule, principle, or decision. It can also mean a court agrees that a decision is correct and lets it stand.

Simple meaning

  • To support or protect something.
  • To defend a rule, belief, or value.
  • In law, to approve a decision or verdict so it remains in force.

Example uses

  • “Uphold the law” means obey and support the law.
  • “Uphold a tradition” means keep that tradition alive.
  • “The court upheld the ruling” means the court said the ruling was correct.

In plain English

If you uphold something, you are basically saying, “This matters, and I support it.”

If you want, I can also show the difference between uphold , support , and maintain.