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
The winning players were thinking of their fans, especially those back home dealing with the political upheaval and uncertain future.
—
Greg Cote
updated March 17, Miami Herald, 18 Mar. 2026
The film business may be in freefall, beset by box office struggles and corporate consolidation that’s left Hollywood with fewer studios, but more than a half-dozen distributors like Sumerian have debuted in the past two years, hoping to take advantage of all the upheaval.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
The reason for their build-up struggles is simply because of the amount of upheaval in the squad.
—Sam Lee, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2026
The fundamental sources of our troubles, going back half a century, are economic inequality, political paralysis, corruption, mass immigration, and cultural and technological upheavals.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upheaval
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Greg Cote
updated March 17, Miami Herald, 18 Mar. 2026
The film business may be in freefall, beset by box office struggles and corporate consolidation that’s left Hollywood with fewer studios, but more than a half-dozen distributors like Sumerian have debuted in the past two years, hoping to take advantage of all the upheaval.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
The reason for their build-up struggles is simply because of the amount of upheaval in the squad.
—Sam Lee, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2026
The fundamental sources of our troubles, going back half a century, are economic inequality, political paralysis, corruption, mass immigration, and cultural and technological upheavals.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 16 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 19 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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