upheaval

up·heav·al

noun \ˌəp-ˈhē-vəl, (ˌ)ə-ˈpē-\

Definition of UPHEAVAL

1

: the action or an instance of upheaving especially of part of the earth's crust

2

: extreme agitation or disorder : radical change; also : an instance of this

Examples of UPHEAVAL

1. The civil rights movement marked a period of social upheaval in the U.S.
2. the emotional upheaval of divorce
3. a period of cultural and social upheavals
4. The island was created by an upheaval of the ocean floor.
5. The lake was formed by geologic upheaval.

First Known Use of UPHEAVAL

1838

Related to UPHEAVAL

Synonyms: bouleversement, cataclysm, earthquake, paroxysm, storm, tempest, tumult, convulsion, uproar

Related Words: insurgency, insurrection, mutiny, overthrow, overturn, rebellion, revolt, revolution, subversion, unrest, uprising, upset; fit, seizure, spasm; eruption, flare-up, outbreak, outburst; bluster, bobbery, bustle, coil, commotion, furor, furore, fuss, hubbub, hullabaloo, hurly-burly, pandemonium, rout, row, ruckus, ruction, rumpus, shindy, squall, stew, stir, to-do, turmoil, welter, williwaw; quaking, rocking, shaking, trembling

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Other Geology Terms

anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale

Rhymes with UPHEAVAL

boll weevil, coeval, king's evil, medieval, primeval, reprieval, retrieval