upheaval

noun

up·​heav·​al ˌəp-ˈhē-vəl 

(ˌ)ə-ˈpē-

1

: the action or an instance of upheaving especially of part of the earth's crust

2

: extreme agitation or disorder : radical change

a period of social upheaval

also : an instance of this

one of human history's greatest upheavals

Synonyms of upheaval

• unrest
• revolution
• earthquake
• turmoil
• revolt
• insurrection
• uprising
• storm
• tumult
• convulsion

Examples of upheaval in a Sentence

The civil rights movement marked a period of social upheaval in the U.S.

the emotional upheaval of divorce

a period of cultural and social upheavals

The island was created by an upheaval of the ocean floor.

The lake was formed by geologic upheaval.

Recent Examples on the Web

But that should be no surprise — there has been a lot of upheaval at the club and nobody suggested replacing Guardiola would be easy. — Sam Lee, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

The column suggests that voters should look beyond standard campaign research and draw moral guidance from Catholic saints, presenting their lives as models for navigating political anxiety, corruption, and social upheaval. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

These moments of hormonal upheaval are linked to a rewiring of neural networks and reductions in the volume of the brain’s outer, wrinkly layer—called cortical gray matter—which plays a role in memory, reasoning and movement. — Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2026

By the mid-2020s, the jihadi movement was in no position to capitalize on upheaval in the Middle East. — Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for upheaval

• coeval
• medieval
• primaeval
• primeval
• retrieval
• evil
• weevil
• mediaeval

Kids Definition

upheaval

noun

up·​heav·​al ˌəp-ˈhē-vəl 

(ˌ)ə-ˈpē-

1

: the action or an instance of heaving or lifting up from beneath especially of part of the earth's crust

2

: an instance of violent disorder or change

emotional upheaval