Verb
hold up as (third-person singular simple present holds up as, present participle holding up as, simple past and past participle held up as)
To purport that (someone) is an example of (something, usually positive).
Judge Gilligan has been held up as a shining example of judicial restraint.
I had a longing for ritual, something I could cling to, a routine to make me feel well and contented. I hoped that reading Bible commentaries and theological critiques would nudge me closer to some kind of absolute that I could hold up as a torch to light my way. Jack Dee