stand tall

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stand tall

1. (idiomatic) To behave in a brave, proud, or unyielding manner, without retreating from confrontation, danger, or adversity.
   • 1892, Margaret Sidney, Five Little Peppers Grown Up, ch. 9:

     "I'll not sing one note!" she declared, standing tall, "not one single note!"

   • 1986, Fern Michaels, Texas Heat, →ISBN. p. 300:

     But there was beauty in her, and an inner strength that would allow her to stand tall and accept last night's phone call.

   • 2002, Jonathan Fenby, "New elections, Same old Faces," Time, 18 March:

     The economic expansion that enabled the country to stand tall at the start of the century has slowed.

   • 2011 January 19, Jonathan Stevenson, “Leeds 1 - 3 Arsenal”, in BBC‎:

     Leeds were once more indebted to the exceptional Schmeichel for keeping them in it when he stood tall to parry away Alex Song's near-post drive only 23 seconds into the second half, before Robert Snodgrass produced a goal-saving tackle just as Arshavin was about to pull the trigger.

• walk tall

• hold one's own

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