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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of convulsion
Christopher Rufo, another influential Trumpist, who led the move against diversity initiatives that eventually became a core tenet of the second Trump Administration, invoked the political convulsions of the nineteen-sixties.
—
Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2025
An hour later, Bradley Fullerton’s cellmate sought help because Fullerton was having convulsions, according to the filing.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
At the end of almost 4 billion years, on a planet bereft of complex life, the Earth had been suddenly throttled by the most extreme convulsions of the carbon cycle in its entire history.
—Peter Brannen
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Serious infections may lead to headaches, a stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for convulsion
Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2025
An hour later, Bradley Fullerton’s cellmate sought help because Fullerton was having convulsions, according to the filing.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
At the end of almost 4 billion years, on a planet bereft of complex life, the Earth had been suddenly throttled by the most extreme convulsions of the carbon cycle in its entire history.
—Peter Brannen
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Serious infections may lead to headaches, a stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for convulsion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for convulsion
Noun
-
See latest data on cases, variants and more The recommendations come after upheaval at the CDC, including the ouster of its former Director Susan Monarez, who had resisted changes to vaccine policy advanced by Kennedy.—
Reuters,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
-
But beyond contemporary cracks, the economy may be in for an even larger period of upheaval thanks to the advent and breakneck adoption of artificial intelligence.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
History happened here with an unprecedented number of fashion revolutions and evolutions.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
8 Oct. 2025
-
And as the superpowers moved on from Cold War battlefields, the ideological paradigms that had once made Central American revolutions feel globally significant faded with them.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Local grievances—such as power outages in Madagascar or rising food prices in Kenya—can quickly escalate into nationwide unrest, amplified by viral hashtags, memes and shared digital culture.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
-
In other footage of the unrest, two men were seen engaging in a fistfight outside the ICE facility before they were detained.—
Greg Norman , Bill Melugin,
FOXNews.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Arefi is quick to point out that women were the most affected by last month’s deadly earthquake – a message echoed by the UN Women Special Representative in Afghanistan – just one of many examples of their suffering.—
Amanda Davies,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The earthquake struck at a depth of just 2 miles, with its epicenter roughly 4 miles east of Vallejo.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Convulsion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/convulsion. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share