as in unrest
a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order)
the government can no longer control the social upheaval brought about by the collapse of the country's economy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of upheaval
Bayrou’s removal was the latest political upheaval for the country since Macron called snap elections in June last year in an attempt to bolster support for the political center, which resulted in a hung parliament.
—
Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
The hearing will come two weeks after Kennedy defended his tenure as the nation’s top health official during a contentious Senate hearing, snapping back at lawmakers who pressed him on the recent upheaval at the CDC and changes to vaccine policy.
—Elvia Limon - 09, The Hill, 10 Sep. 2025
He has been put in charge of a fragile minority government prone to challenges, demands and upheaval from parties on both the far left and right — as the ousting of Bayrou and his predecessor, Michel Barnier, less than a year ago, has proven.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
Through two of Macron’s presidential terms, where upheaval has been the norm, Lecornu has been an unusually stable presence around the cabinet table.
—Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upheaval
Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
The hearing will come two weeks after Kennedy defended his tenure as the nation’s top health official during a contentious Senate hearing, snapping back at lawmakers who pressed him on the recent upheaval at the CDC and changes to vaccine policy.
—Elvia Limon - 09, The Hill, 10 Sep. 2025
He has been put in charge of a fragile minority government prone to challenges, demands and upheaval from parties on both the far left and right — as the ousting of Bayrou and his predecessor, Michel Barnier, less than a year ago, has proven.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
Through two of Macron’s presidential terms, where upheaval has been the norm, Lecornu has been an unusually stable presence around the cabinet table.
—Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upheaval
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upheaval
Noun
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Nepal’s current bout of political unrest started in early September, when a group of young Nepalis, fed up with seeing politicians’ children posting about their designer handbags and luxury travel while most people struggle to make ends meet, organized a peaceful protest.—
Sugam Pokharel,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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International headlines often paint Haiti as a nation gripped by crisis — from political unrest and economic hardship to uncertainty about the future and unruly crime.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Understanding the future of technology—and the wild imagination, hubris, and upheaval that accompany every technological revolution—has been a preoccupation among Atlantic writers for generations.—
Alex Reisner,
The Atlantic,
10 Sep. 2025
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Interestingly, it was found spinning at 100 revolutions per second.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Indian leaders have also downplayed the area’s earthquake risk while citing tsunamis as a reason why the Great Nicobarese indigenous people living in government camps cannot return to their ancestral villages.—
M. Rajshekhar,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
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The earthquake shook at a depth of 9 miles, with its epicenter roughly 11 miles west of Imperial Beach.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The protections for people fleeing turmoil in their home countries were always meant to be temporary, and the Department of Homeland Security has the power to revoke them without court interference, the Justice Department said in a court filing.—
Michael Casey,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
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This administration is trying to thrust our country into turmoil in order to reap power for themselves.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Cracker Barrel was in the early stages of a major turnaround plan before its new logo and restaurant remodels ran into a right-wing revolt.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
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The British eventually adopted harsh measures to end the revolt.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Five people died and 140 police officers were injured before the insurrection was quelled.—
Chris Boyette,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
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At a time when contentious words dominate our conversations—think insurrection and fascism and fake news and woke—the need for dictionaries to chronicle and explain language, and serve as its watchdog, has never been greater.—
Stefan Fatsis,
The Atlantic,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In Budapest, after the uprising against the Communist regime, Andor — raised by his mother with idealized tales of his dead father — has his world turned upside down when a brutish man appears, claiming to be his true father.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
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While Fonseca frames the uprising as a type of emergent phenomenon in his post and a YouTube video, examination of the source code by AI researcher Simon Willison shows that Fonseca specifically instructed the villagers to behave this way and even escalate the unrest over time.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The next name on the storm list for eastern Pacific systems is Mario.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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While snowfall totals may not meet the threshold for a full storm warning, the advisory signals conditions likely to cause significant travel disruptions, especially during peak commute hours.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Upheaval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upheaval. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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