uprising

1 of 2

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

uprising

2 of 2

present participle of uprise entry 1

Synonyms of uprising

Noun

• revolt
• insurrection
• rebellion
• mutiny

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

Noun

The government quickly put down the uprising.

the uprising was quickly and brutally suppressed

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

At that time, the murder of George Floyd dominated headlines and Rusnak had read an article about Stacy’s killing in the wake of the racial uprisings in the aftermath of Floyd’s death. — Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2026

The director also tends to overdo the swooping drone shots, either real or CGI-generated, to convey the expansive scope of the uprising. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026

The chaos unleashed by the 2011 Arab uprisings gave these and other groups even more room to grow. — Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026

The losses come at a challenging time for the Himalayan nation, which is emerging from a year of political upheaval after an uprising toppled the previous government. — ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for uprising

• advising
• apprising
• arising
• baptizing
• capsizing
• chastising
• comprising
• despising
• devising
• disguising
• downsizing
• excising

Kids Definition

uprising

noun

up·​ris·​ing ˈəp-ˌrī-ziŋ 

: an act or instance of rising up