as in upheaval
a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order)
the Russian Revolution was one of the major convulsions of the 20th century
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Recent Examples of convulsion
Such an approach weathered domestic convulsions.
—
Tanvi Madan, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Several works look back vividly and honestly on the convulsions of the past.
—The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025
If the more severe form of listeriosis develops, symptoms may include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
More severe symptoms include stiff neck, confusion, and convulsions.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for convulsion
Tanvi Madan, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Several works look back vividly and honestly on the convulsions of the past.
—The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025
If the more severe form of listeriosis develops, symptoms may include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
More severe symptoms include stiff neck, confusion, and convulsions.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for convulsion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for convulsion
Noun
-
The council was established in April 2024, nearly three years after President Jovenel Moïse was killed at his residence, throwing Haiti into widespread upheaval.—
EVENS SANON,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
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While Britain is suffering perhaps the most dramatic upheaval in the wake of the latest batch of Epstein files, association with the billionaire is popping up across the globe like a pandemic of questionable judgment.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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One of the bloodiest moments in that revolution, which deposed the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and led to the rise of the incumbent Islamist regime, occurred on September 8, 1978.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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But unlike then, some of those calling for a revolution today are also pleading for American or Israeli intervention to help achieve it.—
Davood Moradian,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The reigning monarch, president or dictator then unleashes the national army/armed forces upon the populace/rioters in an attempt to quell the unrest.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
3 Feb. 2026
-
This has been a season in which the franchise has had to deal with significant unrest, on and off the floor.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Structure information summary Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
5 Feb. 2026
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Noem doubled down on her agency’s determination in November that Haiti no longer meets the statutory requirement for its TPS designation, which was granted by President Barack Obama after the country’s devastating 2010 earthquake.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Convulsion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/convulsion. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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