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Definition of upheaval
1 : the action or an instance of upheaving especially of part of the earth's crust
2 : extreme agitation or disorder : radical change; also : an instance of this
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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 of upheaval from the Web
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The political crosswinds and upheavals in the country are already beyond predicting anything, so to add even more cause for grievance by betraying the central promise of the congressional GOP is beyond irresponsible.
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Usually the State Department takes the lead on situations that still require U.S. attention but may not be an immediate threat to national security, but the current upheaval at the agency leaves it unable to effectively do its job.
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Kristine DeLong is a paleoclimatologist at Louisiana State University, expert in the climactic upheavals of the past.
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The top two job fields searched in 2017 in the U.S.—and in the month of June—are in Government and Higher Education, both fields in major states of upheaval.
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Many Greeks were first pushed by famine and political upheaval in the 1890s to come here.
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In taking the new money, as well as forging a relationship with one of the country’s biggest retailers, Casper is seeking to bolster its resources and its recognition at a time when the retail industry is in upheaval.
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But more often than not, such incidents are political in nature: the outcome of intense rivalries of one kind or another, from family feuds to ideological upheavals.
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King cited the upheaval the Rams went through last year after returning to Los Angeles.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'upheaval'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of upheaval
1838
Other Geology Terms
anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale
UPHEAVAL Defined for English Language Learners
upheaval
playDefinition of upheaval for English Language Learners
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: a major change or period of change that causes a lot of conflict, confusion, anger, etc.
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: an occurrence in which a part of the Earth's surface moves up forcefully
UPHEAVAL Defined for Kids
upheaval
playDefinition of upheaval for Students
: a period of great change or violent disorder
Learn More about upheaval
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See words that rhyme with upheaval Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for upheaval Spanish Central: Translation of upheaval Nglish: Translation of upheaval for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of upheaval for Arabic speakers
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