to refuse to accept unfair treatment from a person or group, even if they have more power than you.
She finally stood up to her boss and explained why she deserved a promotion.
A: I heard you argued with your landlord. What happened? B: I just had to stand up to him because he kept ignoring my complaints.
In my opinion, it’s important to stand up to people who try to take advantage of you, even if it feels uncomfortable.
Common mistake
✗He never stands up against his boss.
✓He never stands up to his boss.
'Stand up TO' a person; 'stand up against' is more for causes or ideas.
Tell it apart
She stood up to him.
confronted/resisted him
She stood up for him.
defended him
Use 'stand up to' when you talk about facing someone who is treating you badly or being unfair, not when you support someone.'Stand up for' means to support or defend someone or something. 'Stand up to' means to challenge or resist someone or something.
to be strong or valid enough to endure close examination, criticism, or testing without being disproved or weakened.
Her theory does not stand up to close scrutiny by experts in the field.
A: Do you think his explanation will stand up to analysis? B: Honestly, I doubt it. There are too many inconsistencies.
While the proposal initially seemed promising, it failed to stand up to rigorous academic scrutiny.
Common mistake
✗The argument doesn't stand up against close examination.
✓The argument doesn't stand up to close examination.
'Stand up TO' scrutiny/testing — not 'against'.
Tell it apart
Does the claim stand up to scrutiny?
hold up under examination
Will you stand up to him?
confront him — sense 1
Use this sense when talking about ideas, arguments, evidence, or products that are tested or examined critically. It is common in academic, professional, and evaluative contexts.Unlike the B2 sense, which is about resisting a person or group, this sense is abstract and refers to whether something can endure detailed examination or criticism.