1
as in honorable
following the accepted rules of moral conduct
a fine, upstanding woman who deserves to be nominated to the state's highest court
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vertical
rising straight up
not a single wall remained upstanding after the tornado had passed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of upstanding
To reclaim her reputation as an upstanding public official, Kilkelly had to hire two trial law firms and a third to argue the case before the appellate court.
—
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
And the vast majority of the Chicago coyote population consists of upstanding citizen animals.
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
Skip forward to the 1960s, when an upstanding Canadian gentleman by the name of Gerald Bull dials it up to 11 with Project HARP (High Altitude Research Project).
—New Atlas, 22 Nov. 2025
One of their early goals was to build a gym with the idea of transforming the traditional gymnasium into a space for developing upstanding young men.
—Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upstanding
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
And the vast majority of the Chicago coyote population consists of upstanding citizen animals.
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
Skip forward to the 1960s, when an upstanding Canadian gentleman by the name of Gerald Bull dials it up to 11 with Project HARP (High Altitude Research Project).
—New Atlas, 22 Nov. 2025
One of their early goals was to build a gym with the idea of transforming the traditional gymnasium into a space for developing upstanding young men.
—Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upstanding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upstanding
Adjective
-
Interpreted in this light, silence evolved to signify the very condition of being an honorable man who was capable of maintaining omertà.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
13 May 2026
-
Either way, Netflix respectfully disagrees with the honorable gentleman from the former Republic of Texas, to put it nicely.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
On the walls hung vertical scrolls of Chinese calligraphy.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Floor maltings still running the traditional way, coopers making barrels on site, a 30-year vertical tasting conducted without theatrics.—
Melinda Sheckells,
HollywoodReporter,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Colicchio is honest enough to walk up to that line and examine it.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
-
Because either McCluskie is one heck of a con man who rolled both Becerra and Williamson, making both believe what was happening was kosher with entirely different tales, or someone isn’t being entirely honest.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Maddison received a standing ovation and had an immediate impact.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
Wild standing ovation for the actor who has had a number of films here over the years.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
The biggest challenge will be to rebuild the office by recruiting the highest quality staff and attorneys, and establishing an ethical culture of serving the needs of the state rather than an ideological agenda.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
-
That’s why Cavadini and others are looking forward to the imminent release of Pope Leo XIV’s first major encyclical, expected to address the growing ethical and moral challenges of artificial intelligence.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
The solitary daisy-like golden yellow flowers emerge from slender, erect stems.—
Jamie McIntosh,
The Spruce,
5 May 2026
-
The chickens stomp with swift feet like an Irish step dancer, keeping their tails erect and wings drooped.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And while the coach house has a respectable two-car garage, the main residence has a massive garage beneath the first floor that can easily fit 10 vehicles.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
20 May 2026
-
Both offshoots had respectable runs on ABC, six (Private Practice) and seven (Station 19) seasons.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
Species range from upright to sprawling, the latter of which are commonly used as groundcovers, though also make a fine edging plant.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
19 May 2026
-
An older egg will tilt or stand upright on the bottom, and one that floats has accumulated significant air.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upstanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upstanding. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
