stand up for — defend someone or something
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to support or defend a person, idea, or right, especially when it is being criticized or challenged
Say it like a native
Textbook You must defend the rights of those unable to protect themselves.
Native You've got to stand up for people who can't defend themselves.
'Stand up for' is the spirited everyday phrase; 'defend the rights of' is formal.
Pattern: stand up for + noun/pronoun
In use
- You should always stand up for your friends if someone is treating them unfairly.relationships
- In my opinion, it's important to stand up for your beliefs, even if others disagree with you.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ You should stand up your friends.
✓ You should stand up for your friends.
Don't drop 'for'. Without it, 'stand up' just means rise to your feet.
Common collocations
stand up for— yourself, your rights, what you believe, others
Don't confuse it
'Stand for' can mean 'represent' or 'tolerate', but 'stand up for' means to actively defend or support.