Thesaurus results for UPHEAVAL

upheaval

noun

ˌəp-ˈhē-vəl

Definition of upheaval

as in unrest

a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order) the government can no longer control the social upheaval brought about by the collapse of the country's economy

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 upheaval Stocks fell Monday alongside a jump in bond yields and erratic oil trading as geopolitical upheaval remained front and center for traders. — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 28 Sep. 2026 The underlying motivation for African policymakers is to untether their economies from commodity cycles and, by extension, the upheavals that come with them. — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2026 This Jacobite uprising is also causing upheaval at Castle Leathers. — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026 Meanwhile, the Smithsonian underwent a political awakening during the 2020 upheaval over the COVID-19 pandemic and murder of George Floyd that echoed responses in academia and other progressive realms. — Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for upheaval

Recent Examples of Synonyms for upheaval

Noun

Instead of calling for calm and letting the justice system work, too many political leaders on the left and progressive social influencers either fanned the flames of unrest or failed to act until enormous damage was done.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
Already, many import-dependent countries face shortages, fiscal pressure, and in some cases a difficult choice between cutting fuel subsidies and risking unrest or maintaining them and further weakening public finances.

— RICHARD HAASS, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of unrest

Noun

As this revolution unfolds, the debris-clearing, satellite-rescuing capabilities of RPOs could ensure the sky doesn’t fall, keeping the orbital environment safe and accessible for all.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2026
Many English, Welsh and Scottish people and most Irish people remained Catholic and thus opposed to the official religion, but the state churches were marching steadily away from them and toward fundamentalist revolution.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of revolution

Noun

By 1926, Caltech was running the Seismo Lab with the Carnegie Institution, where seismologists like Beno Gutenberg and Charles Richter would deepen our understanding of earthquakes.

— Danny Robb, JSTOR Daily, 25 Sep. 2026
But among their best qualities, Dick Riordan was arrogantly confident, Jim Hahn had a steady hand on the tiller, Antonio Villaraigosa was tireless and passionate, Eric Garcetti was a long-range thinker on earthquakes, water and energy.

— Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of earthquake

Noun

Of these three films, The Uprising is admittedly the least heist-explicit; Paul Greengrass’s shaky cam mostly follows marching mobs lambasting the king and furious revolts against soldiers and tax collectors.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
Advertisement By midsummer, the revolt reached its breaking point.

— JP Mangalindan, Time, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of revolt

Noun

Amendment is also a constitution’s mechanism for the prevention of insurrection.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
As Port falls in with a group of conspirators preparing for the insurrection, the book takes on a hallucinatory, digressive quality, blurring the lines between life and death, reality and illusion.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of insurrection

Noun

Following the Irish uprising against England in 1917, the British retaliation sees Winston Churchill dispatch a brutal police force to Ireland that attacks civilians and ends with Cork City burned.

— Robert Sullivan, Vogue, 26 Sep. 2026
This Jacobite uprising is also causing upheaval at Castle Leathers.

— Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of uprising

Noun

Meanwhile, Hurricane Nolo could still bring torrential rain to parts of Hawaii even as the storm edged away from the state.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
It’s been a busy season for Pacific storms Storm activity in the Pacific has been above average during what is already the peak of hurricane season, according to National Weather Service lead forecaster Bob Oravec.

— Megan Janetsky, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of storm

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“Upheaval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upheaval. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of upheaval

noun

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