uphold vs justify

uphold and justify both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
uphold	No	No	Yes	No
justify	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, justify is a hyponym of uphold; that is, justify is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than uphold:

Other hyponyms of uphold include vindicate.

uphold (verb)	justify (verb)
stand up for; stick up for; of causes, principles, or ideals	adjust the spaces between words
support against an opponent	show to be right by providing justification or proof
keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last	(used of God) declare innocent; absolve from the penalty of sin