stand up to

Idioms and Phrases

Confront fearlessly, oppose boldly, as in You've got to stand up to the boss if you want him to respect you . [Early 1600s]

Example Sentences

She promised voters she would have “the backbone to stand up to these kinds of assaults.”

From Slate

In a tight Orange County congressional race, mailers sent by GOP Rep. Michelle Steel link Democrat Derek Tran to Mao Zedong and socialism, while Tran’s ads say Steel can’t be trusted to “stand up to China”

From Los Angeles Times

By the time the room has dropped to 18C I was no longer sweating and the hairs on my arms were starting to stand up to help insulate my body.

From BBC

She pledged to stand by our allies, stand up to dictators and ensure that America had the world’s most lethal fighting force.

From Salon

"If they are not scared, if they are not losing that courage to stand up to the Taliban, we should learn from them and we should stand in solidarity with them."

From BBC

Related Words

• abide
• combat
• confront
• continue
• curb
• defy
• endure
• forgo
• maintain
• prevent
• refuse
• repel
• thwart
• turn down