: 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
For all the upsurge of Russian activity and injection of US uncertainty, the military is eager to stress that not everything has changed.
—
Alan Crawford, Bloomberg, 20 Apr. 2026
The anti-imperialist upsurge of the 1920s and ’30s was formative for a generation of Latin American radicals.
—Tony Wood, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, Democrats took the opportunity to grill Kennedy on the upsurge in vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, under his watch and the weakening of the childhood vaccine schedule.
—Will Stone, NPR, 16 Apr. 2026
For aspiring homeowners, the upsurge in borrowing costs is a major headache.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upsurge
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Alan Crawford, Bloomberg, 20 Apr. 2026
The anti-imperialist upsurge of the 1920s and ’30s was formative for a generation of Latin American radicals.
—Tony Wood, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, Democrats took the opportunity to grill Kennedy on the upsurge in vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, under his watch and the weakening of the childhood vaccine schedule.
—Will Stone, NPR, 16 Apr. 2026
For aspiring homeowners, the upsurge in borrowing costs is a major headache.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upsurge
Cite this Entry
“Upsurge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upsurge. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
upsurge
noun
up·surge
ˈəp-ˌsərj 
: a rapid or sudden rise
an upsurge of popularity
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