groundswell

noun

ground·swell | \ ˈgrau̇nd-ˌswel

Definition of groundswell

1 usually ground swell : a broad deep undulation of the ocean caused by an often distant gale or seismic disturbance

2 : a rapid spontaneous growth (as of political opinion) a groundswell of support

Examples of groundswell in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Fraught with bittersweet regret, a groundswell of longing, and, just maybe, a glint of hope. — The Atlantic, "What Is the Greatest Movie Quote of All Time?," 11 Aug. 2019 There is no national groundswell for impeachment, OK? — Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Doc's Morning Line: The Harrelson curse? Come on now, Cincinnati Bengals fans. Really?," 24 July 2019 Airlines aren’t oblivious to the scope of the problem, which is coming into focus with the groundswell of public awareness over plastic pollution. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Vox, "The best $3,000 I ever spent: training for my unruly dog," 9 July 2019 The combination of consumer and business opposition has led to a groundswell of critical op-eds, law review articles, posts on legal blogs and letters. — Ian Macdougall, ProPublica, "Soon You May Not Even Have to Click on a Website Contract to Be Bound by Its Terms," 20 May 2019 The legislation faced a groundswell of opposition, including Democratic lawmakers and protesters saying on social media and in person that lawmakers who voted in favor of the bill would be targeted in 2020 elections. — Ben Nadler, The Seattle Times, "‘Heartbeat’ abortion ban heads to Georgia governor’s desk," 31 Mar. 2019 Liberal advocacy groups had hoped to push the party during the August recess toward an impeachment vote by stirring up a groundswell of grassroots support. — Nicholas Fandos, BostonGlobe.com, "Democrats plan to broaden Trump impeachment inquiry to corruption accusations," 8 Sep. 2019 Meanwhile, Pai’s proposal triggered a groundswell of industry lobbying, particularly on the part of financial institutions, debt collectors and hospitals. — Washington Post, "The FCC allows AT&T, Verizon and other carriers to block more suspected robocalls," 6 June 2019 Because of that fact, there is a groundswell of support from the exoplanet community, Marley says. — Shannon Hall, Scientific American, "The Solar System’s Loneliest Planets, Revisited," 22 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'groundswell.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.