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
But New Balance was soon hit by the store-closing chaos of the 2020 pandemic, and faced further upheavals as e-commerce and direct-to-consumer retailing changed how its industry operated.
—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 28 Nov. 2025
And yet, that sentiment has become common across college sports, amid upheavals over player pay.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 28 Nov. 2025
On Dancing with the Stars, Forde firmly rejected the notion that the Strictly upheaval, which has seen two professional dancers exit the show over misconduct allegations and two former stars arrested on suspicion of rape, has had an impact on BBC Studios’ ability to sell the show around the world.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 26 Nov. 2025
Its mission was never to remake Britain, no matter how sorely that was needed in the wake of the Great Recession, the upheaval of Brexit, COVID, and five Tory Prime Ministers in six years.
—Oliver Eagleton, Time, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upheaval
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Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 28 Nov. 2025
And yet, that sentiment has become common across college sports, amid upheavals over player pay.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 28 Nov. 2025
On Dancing with the Stars, Forde firmly rejected the notion that the Strictly upheaval, which has seen two professional dancers exit the show over misconduct allegations and two former stars arrested on suspicion of rape, has had an impact on BBC Studios’ ability to sell the show around the world.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 26 Nov. 2025
Its mission was never to remake Britain, no matter how sorely that was needed in the wake of the Great Recession, the upheaval of Brexit, COVID, and five Tory Prime Ministers in six years.
—Oliver Eagleton, Time, 26 Nov. 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 3 Dec. 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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