as in upheaval
a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order)
the Russian Revolution was one of the major convulsions of the 20th century
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Recent Examples of convulsion
The country, meanwhile, was experiencing a series of convulsions.
—
Azadeh Moaveni, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
Brain swelling from encephalitis can lead to convulsions, permanent hearing loss, intellectual disability and death, according to the CDC.
—Kristen Jordan Shamus, Freep.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Like any society, forests are subject to periods of heated convulsion that strip away the detritus of the past while laying the groundwork for the future.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Jamie Dimon at JPMorgan Chase says there are current parallels to the years leading to the 2008 convulsion.
—Rick Green, Bloomberg, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for convulsion
Azadeh Moaveni, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
Brain swelling from encephalitis can lead to convulsions, permanent hearing loss, intellectual disability and death, according to the CDC.
—Kristen Jordan Shamus, Freep.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Like any society, forests are subject to periods of heated convulsion that strip away the detritus of the past while laying the groundwork for the future.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Jamie Dimon at JPMorgan Chase says there are current parallels to the years leading to the 2008 convulsion.
—Rick Green, Bloomberg, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for convulsion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for convulsion
Noun
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The trio of titles making the rounds at Cannes are exemplars of the type of material Anonymous Content intends to pursue that this moment of great upheaval across film and TV.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
8 May 2026
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The road to Little Simz’s last full-length album, 2025’s Lotus, was fraught with legal woes and interpersonal upheaval.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
Noun
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Yet a revolution is now underway, one that is exploding all the spending records.—
Chris Smith,
Vanity Fair,
11 May 2026
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Maskot | Digitalvision | Getty Images Since the debut of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022, and the subsequent AI revolution, workers across industries have been hit by sweeping layoffs.—
Matthew Chin,
CNBC,
11 May 2026
Noun
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Cárdenas returned to Nicaragua in the late 1970s to live in semi-retirement, but political unrest in the country, in the form of the Sandinista National Liberation Front, forced him to flee and eventually return to the United States.—
Ed Guzman,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
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Russia is now roiled by rumors of organized unrest with months to go before parliamentary elections, while Putin himself faces allegations of extreme isolation and a weakening grip on power.—
Rafi Schwartz,
TheWeek,
11 May 2026
Noun
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Scientists are continuing to find evidence that the earth beneath the Pacific Northwest is tearing apart, underscoring the need to study potential earthquake activity in the region.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
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The best way to protect yourself during an earthquake is to drop, cover and hold on, officials say.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Convulsion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/convulsion. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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