uprising

noun

up·​ris·​ing ˈəp-ˌrī-ziŋ 

: an act or instance of rising up

especially : a usually localized act of popular violence in defiance usually of an established government

Synonyms

• insurgence
• insurgency
• insurrection
• mutiny
• outbreak
• rebellion
• revolt
• revolution
• rising

Choose the Right Synonym for uprising

rebellion, revolution, uprising, revolt, insurrection, mutiny mean an outbreak against authority.

rebellion implies an open formidable resistance that is often unsuccessful.

open rebellion against the officers

revolution applies to a successful rebellion resulting in a major change (as in government).

a political revolution that toppled the monarchy

uprising implies a brief, limited, and often immediately ineffective rebellion.

quickly put down the uprising

revolt and insurrection imply an armed uprising that quickly fails or succeeds.

a revolt by the Young Turks that surprised party leaders

an insurrection of oppressed laborers

mutiny applies to group insubordination or insurrection especially against naval authority.

a mutiny led by the ship's cook

Examples of uprising in a Sentence

The government quickly put down the uprising.

the uprising was quickly and brutally suppressed

Recent Examples on the Web

In response, groups including the Jewish Combat Organization and the Jewish Military Union began to organize a resistance effort, leading to the largest military uprising by Jews during the war. —David Unsworth, Fox News, 19 Apr. 2024

When Kollwitz saw the play in 1893, she was drawn to its potent message and staged her scenes as a modern-day imagining of a similar uprising. —Grace Edquist, Vogue, 11 Apr. 2024

But Europe’s agricultural policy is riddled with problems that have contributed to the farm uprising. —Roger Cohen Ivor Prickett, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024

The desire to bring back a traditional Muslim way of life from before the French arrived—with the implications this held for the role of women or nonbelievers—became the animating force of the uprising and the essential purpose of throwing off colonialism. —Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024

After all, that’s a big part of the uprising with the players to upend the MLBPA. —Maury Brown, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

Manford doesn’t heed the advice and winds up in the middle of a violent Beijing uprising. —Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2024

Resistance ran in the family, Aleksandra’s great-grandfather had fought [unsuccessfully] in the January 1863 uprising against Russian czarist occupiers. —Livia Paccariè, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2024

Brown’s goal was to arm and inspire an uprising among enslaved people. —Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

uprising

noun

up·​ris·​ing ˈəp-ˌrī-ziŋ 

: an act or instance of rising up