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
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
Choosing a board chair often points to the lack of options among top executives, or at least the risk tolerance a company needs to take a chance on a CEO at a time of economic and geopolitical upheaval.
—
Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 3 Feb. 2026
The protection, which is usually in effect for a year or more, was extended repeatedly as Haiti was hit with more natural disasters and political upheaval.
—Suzanne Gamboa, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2026
But land does offer a hedge against inflation, diversification against economic upheavals, and provides a certainty that isn’t available with assets whose value can evaporate in a short time span, like Washington Mutual or Enron.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
The changes to and cancellation of courses comes months after a viral video of a student confronting an instructor over her lessons threw Texas A&M, one of the largest universities in the country, into upheaval.
—Juan A. Lozano, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upheaval
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.
Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 3 Feb. 2026
The protection, which is usually in effect for a year or more, was extended repeatedly as Haiti was hit with more natural disasters and political upheaval.
—Suzanne Gamboa, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2026
But land does offer a hedge against inflation, diversification against economic upheavals, and provides a certainty that isn’t available with assets whose value can evaporate in a short time span, like Washington Mutual or Enron.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
The changes to and cancellation of courses comes months after a viral video of a student confronting an instructor over her lessons threw Texas A&M, one of the largest universities in the country, into upheaval.
—Juan A. Lozano, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upheaval
Cite this Entry
“Upheaval.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upheaval. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
