Thesaurus results for UPHEAVAL

upheaval

noun

ˌəp-ˈhē-vəl

Definition of upheaval

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of upheaval From the top floor, the upheaval looks profound enough that executives are already rethinking labor demand and reskilling their workforces. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026 Law enforcement was heavily deployed to contain potential upheaval, but there were no new episodes of looting on Saturday, when about 10,000 protesters gathered in a peaceful demonstration in Milan. — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 25 Oct. 2026 Fifty-four miles north of London, and 160 miles south of Lowry’s base of operations in Manchester, Milton Keynes is arguably the most consequential monument to England’s postwar upheaval. — Air Mail, 24 Oct. 2026 Then, during our planet’s infancy, volcanic upheaval and deep-earth alchemy created more than a thousand new minerals. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for upheaval

Recent Examples of Synonyms for upheaval

Noun

Police stood guard outside branches in what officials described as a precaution against unrest.

— Jorge Saenz, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
In February, a student died during unrest over unpaid financial aid at Dakar’s Cheikh Anta Diop University.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of unrest

Noun

The avant-garde revolution of the ’60s produced many visionary jazz musicians, but few were able to perform at both Carnegie Hall and the White House.

— Levi Dayan, Pitchfork, 3 Nov. 2026
Robert, Ryan, and Kirby Carlisle are three engineers who worked at SpaceX during the Falcon 9 era, seeing the revolution in the global launch industry from the inside.

— Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of revolution

Noun

The earthquake's epicenter was roughly 18 miles west of Petrolia and occurred at a depth of 8 miles.

— CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the earthquake also left more than 45,000 homes damaged, 9,000 destroyed, and 140 buildings collapsed.

— Rebecca Schneid, Time, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of earthquake

Noun

Bass has talked up the city’s drop in violent crime, including a 47% reduction in homicides, and warned that Raman’s plan to remove the police chief would throw the LAPD into turmoil right before the Olympics.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
Strict controls on capital flows limit foreign investors’ participation in Chinese markets, reducing the possibility that turmoil could spread internationally.

— John Liu, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of turmoil

Noun

The legendary protests of May, 1968, began as a student revolt against the bureaucracy of the French university system, and brought France to the verge of revolution yet again.

— Maurice Samuels, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2026
That might have caused something of a revolt among American NFL fans wanting to drive down the road to their local team's stadium and enjoy America's game – in America.

— Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of revolt

Noun

By then, graffiti had been scrubbed from the central monument that pays tribute to the French Republic, including its tradition of insurrection.

— Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
My assumption that the guest speakers’ anti-Communist insurrection might resonate with today’s youth and their antisystem rebellion proved to be mistaken.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of insurrection

Noun

Just weeks after the experiment ended, a prison uprising at Attica Correctional Facility in New York was thwarted with deadly force, resulting in 43 deaths.

— Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
France's post-revolution history is not a solid story of protests and reforms, but of cycles of popular uprisings, repression, mobilization and political concessions.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of uprising

Noun

Buckley said the Learjet captain was likely trying to get around or fly above the storm system, exceeding the safe speeds and altitudes of the plane.

— David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026
The greatest concern is across northwest Texas and farther north into Oklahoma and Kansas, where storms could first develop along an eastward-moving dryline Monday evening.

— Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of storm

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upheaval

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“Upheaval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upheaval. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of upheaval

noun

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