adhered (to), hewed (to), kept (to), stood by, stuck (to or with)

cleaved (to)advocated, backed, championed, confirmed, defended, endorsed(also indorsed), espoused, supported, upheldaccepted, adopted, cherished, cultivated, embraced, followed, fostered, heededbackstopped, bolstered, boosted, buttressed, enforced, reinforced(also reenforced)

abided by, held to

defected (from)

abandoned, abnegated, deserted, forsook, gave up, relinquished, spurned, surrenderedabjured, recalled, recanted, reconsidered, reneged, renounced, retracted, revoked, took back, unsaid, withdrewcontroverted, disagreed (with), disproved, disputed, rebutted, refutedcontradicted, denied, disavowed, disclaimed, disowned, gainsaid, negated, negatived, repudiatedbacked down, backed off, backtracked