groundswell

noun ground·swell \ ˈgrau̇nd-ˌswel \

|Updated on: 5 Aug 2018

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

See groundswell defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of groundswell from the Web

Populist Groundswell The initiative has been embraced by French President Emmanuel Macron as European political systems struggle to deal with a groundswell of anti-establishment politics.

— patrick donahue, Bloomberg.com, "Merkel Makes Big Sell for Euro as ‘Best Guarantee’ for Peace," 30 May 2018
The groundswell of fan support has been key in the recent pickup of other shows like The Expanse (which heads to Amazon next season) and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Warner Brothers TV began to shop it around to streaming services.

— andrew liptak, The Verge, "Netflix has renewed Lucifer for a fourth season," 16 June 2018
So far that has been modest, but the new China tariffs could create more of a groundswell of public opinion that would be captured in polls or voting. Third is companies hit by the tariffs.

— justin lahart, WSJ, "How to Spot the First Signs Tariffs Are Starting to Bite," 15 June 2018
Rothy’s is part of a groundswell of online retailers that are setting up permanent shops this spring and summer, many for the first time, in ways that render San Francisco a retail testing ground.

— maghan mcdowell, San Francisco Chronicle, "Digital native brands test their concepts on SF’s population of early adopters," 6 June 2018
The controversy has triggered a groundswell of criticism, investigations into both Cambridge Analytica and Facebook around the world, multiple hearings in the US Congress, and the potential for fines and other penalties.

— washington post, BostonGlobe.com, "Cambridge Analytica shuts down amid scandal over use of Facebook data," 2 May 2018
The local groundswell of enthusiasm compares to when Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward and former Cub Dexter Fowler also played in games at one of the nicest minor-league facilities in America.

— david haugh, chicagotribune.com, "Yu Darvish all set for rehab start with South Bend Cubs," 25 June 2018
But even if only a few of these players ultimately set up shop here, the groundswell of interest means Detroit is truly becoming a hot restaurant market on the national level — and not just in fawning travel listicles.

— mark kurlyandchik, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit's most eagerly awaited restaurant openings of 2018," 3 Jan. 2018
To be clear, the numbers here don’t necessarily suggest there is an enormous groundswell of support for Democratic policies or candidates.

— NBC News, "'Throw the bums out' coalition changes shape in 2018," 17 June 2018

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.