countenance vs uphold

countenance

verb
  • To tolerate, support, sanction, patronise or approve of something. 

noun
  • Appearance, especially the features and expression of the face. 

  • Favour; support; encouragement. 

  • Calm facial expression, composure, self-control. 

uphold

verb
  • To support by approval or encouragement, to confirm (something which has been questioned) 

  • To keep erect; to support; to sustain; to keep from falling 

  • To hold up; to lift on high; to elevate. 

How often have the words countenance and uphold occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )