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
Other people may experience symptoms, such as headaches, a stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, convulsions, fever, muscle aches, and tiredness.
—
Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 9 June 2026
Gary McHugh went into convulsions.
—Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2026
In the 1850s and 1860s, the partisan press in the United States helped stoke the political convulsions that led to the Civil War.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026
Less than 1% will contract West Nile neuroinvasive disease, a more serious neurological illness that causes tremors, convulsions, neck stiffness, disorientation, paralysis and even death.
—Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for convulsion
Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 9 June 2026
Gary McHugh went into convulsions.
—Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2026
In the 1850s and 1860s, the partisan press in the United States helped stoke the political convulsions that led to the Civil War.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026
Less than 1% will contract West Nile neuroinvasive disease, a more serious neurological illness that causes tremors, convulsions, neck stiffness, disorientation, paralysis and even death.
—Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for convulsion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for convulsion
Noun
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Yet at a time of perpetual upheaval in Hollywood, the unflashy Meledandri has created and shaped one of Hollywood’s most consistent blockbuster-making operations.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 June 2026
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Earth-impacting shrapnel from those primordial upheavals may have helped seed our planet with the precursors for life, delivering water and organic compounds from the dark, icy depths of the outer solar system.—
Lee Billings,
Scientific American,
18 June 2026
Noun
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Shares have jumped 80% in the year to date as an ongoing memory supply crunch accelerates the adoption of lithography equipment for the production of semiconductors required to power the AI revolution.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
22 June 2026
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Haitian soldiers seasoned on American battlefields during the revolution later sparked Haiti’s overthrow of French colonial rule, depriving France of its most profitable slave colony and ending one of the most brutal enslavement of human beings in modern world history.—
Paul Vallas,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2026
Noun
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With one eye on opportunities tied to staggering technological advances, massive investments and soaring equity markets, and the other on inflation, global unrest and rising risks, businesses are choosing to build while the building is good.—
Scott Cohn,
CNBC,
16 June 2026
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He was initially paid to post anti-Islam posters and graffiti in Muslim neighborhoods of London, an apparent attempt to stoke unrest.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
Noun
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It is estimated that there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
19 June 2026
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The researchers say the finding highlights how much remains unknown about the behavior of large earthquakes and the complex interactions between seismic waves and tectonic plates.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Convulsion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/convulsion. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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