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

The whiplash is disorienting, but, somewhat paradoxically, the characters’ romantic upheaval provides its own center of gravity. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2025

Morris isn’t alone in witnessing the upheaval. —Sonal Nain, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025

Then came political — and vaccine — upheaval. —Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 21 Nov. 2025

Which isn’t to say that the eventual meeting of the minds won’t be colored by at least one seismic upheaval, as the YouTubes and Netflixes flex their zillion-dollar market caps in a bid to unseat one of the NFL’s loyal TV partners. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 21 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for upheaval

• coeval
• medieval
• primeval
• retrieval
• evil
• weevil

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