Not understanding the meaning of a word

Today I heard on the news that the Supreme Court upheld a ruling. After I heard this, I searched my brain trying to figure out what the word “upheld” meant. It wasn't until they explained it on tv, that I understood what the word meant which allowed me to understand the story. I knew that I had heard the word upheld before and I probably knew what it meant, but when this story was on the news, I could not remember the meaning of the word.