: a rapid or sudden rise
an upsurge in interest
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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 app has had an upsurge in popularity as of late and reached the top of the App Store ranking this week.
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PC Magazine, 27 July 2025
Much more worrying is the broader upsurge in vaccine rejection, which threatens to introduce community spread of measles into the wider population.
—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Twin Cities, 16 July 2025
But so far, there hasn't been an upsurge in lead poisoning cases threatening to overwhelm the Health Department.
—Alison Dirr, jsonline.com, 14 July 2025
In recent years, the world has witnessed a dramatic upsurge in state violence.
—Tom Ridge, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for upsurge
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PC Magazine, 27 July 2025
Much more worrying is the broader upsurge in vaccine rejection, which threatens to introduce community spread of measles into the wider population.
—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Twin Cities, 16 July 2025
But so far, there hasn't been an upsurge in lead poisoning cases threatening to overwhelm the Health Department.
—Alison Dirr, jsonline.com, 14 July 2025
In recent years, the world has witnessed a dramatic upsurge in state violence.
—Tom Ridge, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for upsurge
Cite this Entry
“Upsurge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upsurge. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
upsurge
noun
up·surge
ˈəp-ˌsərj 
: a rapid or sudden rise
an upsurge of popularity
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