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
South Africa’s president arrived in Brazil for a state visit aimed at bolstering ties amid the upheaval sparked by US tariffs.
—
Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 10 Mar. 2026
The upheaval in oil markets has the potential to alter the calculus for policymakers, especially if the spike in crude prices persists.
—Bloomberg News, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
According to Rapidan’s datasets that go back 76 years, the current upheaval in global crude supply is more than double that of the historic 1956 Suez Crisis when the government of Egypt seized control of the canal by ousting Great Britain and France.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
His exit follows upheaval in the news division, with new editor in chief Bari Weiss, founder of center right opinion site The Free Press, embarking on a new strategy, generating concerns over the editorial direction of the news division.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upheaval
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Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 10 Mar. 2026
The upheaval in oil markets has the potential to alter the calculus for policymakers, especially if the spike in crude prices persists.
—Bloomberg News, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
According to Rapidan’s datasets that go back 76 years, the current upheaval in global crude supply is more than double that of the historic 1956 Suez Crisis when the government of Egypt seized control of the canal by ousting Great Britain and France.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
His exit follows upheaval in the news division, with new editor in chief Bari Weiss, founder of center right opinion site The Free Press, embarking on a new strategy, generating concerns over the editorial direction of the news division.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 9 Mar. 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 14 Mar. 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
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