Definition of uproar
:a state of commotion, excitement, or violent disturbance
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Examples of uproar in a Sentence
There was a lot of public uproar over the proposed jail.
There have been uproars in the past over similar proposals.
The proposal caused an uproar.
The town was in an uproar over the proposal to build a jail.
Recent Examples of uproar from the Web
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When Penn State didn’t make the College Football Playoffs last year, there was an uproar.
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Remember that tearful, heartfelt apology Kathy Griffin issued after an image of her holding a bloody prop head resembling Donald Trump created an uproar back in May?
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What bothers many ordinary Americans is that there is far more uproar over a statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville than over one of Vladimir Lenin in Seattle.
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Now, after the developer has invested a lot of money into this project, there is an uproar to preserve the building.
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Privately funded by the Tricentennial Foundation, a local German heritage organization, the sign caused an uproar among some members of the community.
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In any sport, Kaepernick’s views would’ve caused an uproar.
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He has been tapped to be acting principal position at Norton Elementary, which over the summer was thrown into an uproar when JCPS fired its last principal, Ken Stites.
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That crack prompted criticism from media, tennis fans, and even McEnroe's daughters, and the resulting uproar has dominated his appearances on late-night talk shows and sports-talk radio.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'uproar.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of uproar
by folk etymology from Dutch oproer, from Middle Dutch, from op up (akin to Old English ūp) + roer motion; akin to Old English hrēran to stir
uproar Synonyms
Synonyms
ado, alarums and excursions, ballyhoo, blather, bluster, bobbery, bother, bustle, clatter, clutter [chiefly dialect], coil, corroboree [Australian], disturbance, do [chiefly dialect], foofaraw, fun, furor, furore, fuss, helter-skelter, hoo-ha (also hoo-hah), hoopla, hubble-bubble, hubbub, hullabaloo, hurly, hurly-burly, hurricane, hurry, hurry-scurry (or hurry-skurry), kerfuffle [chiefly British], moil, pandemonium, pother, row, ruckus, ruction, rumpus, shindy, splore [Scottish], squall, stew, stir, storm, to-do, tumult, turmoil, commotion, welter, whirl, williwaw, zooRelated Words
cacophony, clamor, din, howl, hue and cry, noise, outcry, racket, roar; disorder, unrest, upheaval; eruption, flare-up, flurry, flutter, outbreak, outburst; brawl, fracas, fray, hassle, melee (also mêlée), scuffle; dither, fever, fret, lather, tizzyNear Antonyms
calm, hush, peace, quiet, quietude, rest, stillness, tranquillity (or tranquility); order, orderlinessUPROAR Defined for English Language Learners
uproar
play
noun
Definition of uproar for English Language Learners
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: a situation in which many people are upset, angry, or disturbed by something
UPROAR Defined for Kids
uproar
play
noun
up·roar
\
ˈəp-ˌrȯr
\
Definition of uproar for Students
:a state of commotion, excitement, or violent disturbance
- Now the dining room was in an uproar … as the men jumped to their feet in confusion.
- —Judith Berry Griffin, Phoebe the Spy
History for uproar
In spite of appearances, the -roar part of the word uproar has no historical connection with the sound made by some animals. In Dutch oproer means “revolt, uprising,” having been compounded from op, “up,” and roer, “motion.” When the word was taken into English, its Dutch meaning was kept at first, but its spelling was altered to fit already familiar English words. English speakers assumed that the -roar in uproar did indeed refer to loud cries, and so the word went from meaning “uprising” to “a state of commotion.”
Learn More about uproar
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See words that rhyme with uproar Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for uproar Spanish Central: Translation of uproar Nglish: Translation of uproar for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of uproar for Arabic speakers
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