upsurge

noun

up·​surge ˈəp-ˌsərj 

: a rapid or sudden rise

an upsurge in interest

Did you know?

An upsurge in drug use sometimes leads to an upsurge in crime. An upsurge of flu cases can be cause for alarm. And an upsurge of fury at overpaid CEOs might lead to new legislation to restrain high salaries. We seem to use upsurge more in negative contexts than in positive ones, but not always; we usually welcome an upsurge of consumer confidence, an upsurge in new-car sales, or an upsurge in the stock market.

Examples of upsurge in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Athletic has spoken to dozens of sources inside English academies and at player agencies to find out what is happening in academy recruitment and why there has been such an upsurge in players moving between big clubs. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Surge in departures The reason for the sudden upsurge remains unclear. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2026

These extra-institutional mass upsurges have posed the greatest challenges to the Hindu nationalist political order helmed by Modi. — Asim Ali, Time, 1 Aug. 2026

But trading that against the potential benefit of many years of upsurge? — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 26 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for upsurge

• converge
• diverge
• emerge
• submerge
• demiurge
• dirge
• merge
• purge
• scourge
• serge
• splurge
• spurge

Kids Definition

upsurge

noun

up·​surge ˈəp-ˌsərj 

: a rapid or sudden rise

an upsurge of popularity