adheres (to), clings (to), hews (to), keeps (to), stands by, sticks (to or with)

cleaves (to)advocates, backs, champions, confirms, defends, endorses(also indorses), espouses, supports, upholdsaccepts, adopts, cherishes, cultivates, embraces, follows, fosters, heedsbackstops, bolsters, boosts, buttresses, enforces, reinforces(also reenforces)

abides by, lives up to

defects (from)

abandons, abnegates, deserts, forsakes, gives up, relinquishes, spurns, surrendersabjures, recalls, recants, reconsiders, reneges, renounces, retracts, revokes, takes back, unsays, withdrawscontroverts, disagrees (with), disproves, disputes, rebuts, refutescontradicts, denies, disavows, disclaims, disowns, gainsays, negates, negatives, repudiatesbacks down, backs off, backtracks