as in upheavals
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 convulsions
Symptoms of the more serious illness include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis, according to the CDC.
—
Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Common listeriosis symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms, according to the Cleveland Clinic and the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
For more severe and potentially life-threatening infections, symptoms may include headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.
—Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
An hour later, Bradley Fullerton’s cellmate sought help because Fullerton was having convulsions, according to the filing.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
At the end of almost 4 billion years, on a planet bereft of complex life, the Earth had been suddenly throttled by the most extreme convulsions of the carbon cycle in its entire history.
—Peter Brannen
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Widespread abuse can lead to sudden cardiac arrest, convulsions, strokes and death.
—Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 28 Dec. 2024
Abuse can lead to irregular heartbeat, ischemic heart conditions, sudden cardiac arrest, convulsions, strokes and death.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 25 Dec. 2024
Exposure to larger doses of the gas can cause loss of consciousness, cardiac arrest, possibly leading to death, coma, convulsions, paralysis, respiratory failure, and seizures.
—Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 25 Dec. 2024
Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Common listeriosis symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms, according to the Cleveland Clinic and the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
For more severe and potentially life-threatening infections, symptoms may include headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.
—Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
An hour later, Bradley Fullerton’s cellmate sought help because Fullerton was having convulsions, according to the filing.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
At the end of almost 4 billion years, on a planet bereft of complex life, the Earth had been suddenly throttled by the most extreme convulsions of the carbon cycle in its entire history.
—Peter Brannen
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Widespread abuse can lead to sudden cardiac arrest, convulsions, strokes and death.
—Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 28 Dec. 2024
Abuse can lead to irregular heartbeat, ischemic heart conditions, sudden cardiac arrest, convulsions, strokes and death.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 25 Dec. 2024
Exposure to larger doses of the gas can cause loss of consciousness, cardiac arrest, possibly leading to death, coma, convulsions, paralysis, respiratory failure, and seizures.
—Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 25 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for convulsions
Noun
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The film follows Mark and Dawn through horrifically fraught times, as Mark battles an opioid addiction and Dawn struggles to support her mercurial man through personal and professional upheavals.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
1 Oct. 2025
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While Sehgal’s persistence was key in keeping the project alive through corporate upheavals – going as far as to stash a culture at home – neither Nogrady nor the METEI was ever credited in his landmark publications.—
Ted Powers,
The Conversation,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Your books like focus on feminist revolutions in different key aspects of culture.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
7 Oct. 2025
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But also, our lives have sped up, and cycles of culture have sped up in their revolutions.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Convulsions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/convulsions. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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