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
also
: an instance of this
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
The canons dismantled during the Theory incursion of the 1970s and ’80s introduced a more inclusive world of letters, even as the upheaval left English departments fragmented.
—
Eric Bulson, The Atlantic, 16 June 2025
The upheaval left Martin Luther King, Jr., who had stood alongside Johnson at the signing of the Voting Rights Act, feeling shaken.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
Israel’s ongoing airstrikes and Iran’s retaliation raised concerns about all-out war between the countries and propelled the region, already on edge, into even greater upheaval.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2025
Israel's ongoing airstrikes and intelligence operation and Iran's retaliation raised concerns about war between the countries and propelled the region, already on edge, into even greater upheaval.
—Arkansas Online, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for upheaval
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Eric Bulson, The Atlantic, 16 June 2025
The upheaval left Martin Luther King, Jr., who had stood alongside Johnson at the signing of the Voting Rights Act, feeling shaken.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
Israel’s ongoing airstrikes and Iran’s retaliation raised concerns about all-out war between the countries and propelled the region, already on edge, into even greater upheaval.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2025
Israel's ongoing airstrikes and intelligence operation and Iran's retaliation raised concerns about war between the countries and propelled the region, already on edge, into even greater upheaval.
—Arkansas Online, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for upheaval
Cite this Entry
“Upheaval.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upheaval. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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
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