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

But external leadership quickly devolves if our inner landscapes are left scattered to the wind during massive, often uninvited personal upheavals. — Patrick Murphy, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Michael Steele/Getty Images That window was dominated by Newcastle’s perilous PSR (the Premier League’s former profitability and sustainability rules) situation and the upheaval caused by Paul Mitchell’s appointment as sporting director. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

After years of upheaval in Florida State athletics—including a then-unprecedented flirtation with private equity and a bitter legal fight with the Atlantic Coast Conference—the school has parted ways with athletic director Michael Alford. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 14 Sep. 2026

The release followed days of upheaval in the tech industry over AI model capabilities, after Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon resigned from the lab, publicly warning that AI companies were gambling with people’s lives. — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for upheaval

• coeval
• medieval
• primaeval
• primeval
• retrieval
• evil
• weevil
• mediaeval

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