stand up for

stand up for (third-person singular simple present stands up for, present participle standing up for, simple past and past participle stood up for)

1. (transitive) To speak or act in support or defense of (a person, a cause, a belief, or the like).

   She stood up for me when no one else would, and I've never forgotten it.

   Those who don't stand up for their rights are apt to lose them.

   Though I disagreed with him, I respected him for standing up for what he believed in.

   • 2000 December 3, J. Stewart Burns, Futurama, episode 32: “The Cryonic Woman”,

     Michelle: Quit standing up for yourself, Fry. When we get back to the hole we are going to have a long, boring talk about our relationship!

• stick up for

• stand up
• stand up to