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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of upheaval
The upheaval comes as the SDNY, known for bringing major white-collar crime and terrorism cases, has seen a leadership crisis in recent months following Trump’s second return to power — cycling through five U.S. attorneys since December.
—
Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2025
Trump critics say the abrupt change is ill-timed as Americans are already grappling with economic uncertainty and market upheaval amid the president’s trade wars.
—Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025
The deal, announced just one day after the death of Pope Francis, follows years of litigation and financial upheaval within the diocese.
—Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025
Edelstein illuminates the fundamental dilemma at the heart of ancient and modern revolutions: the deep social conflicts that trigger political upheaval do not disappear in the aftermath of revolution, even as revolution sweeps aside those institutions needed to foster consensus.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upheaval
Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2025
Trump critics say the abrupt change is ill-timed as Americans are already grappling with economic uncertainty and market upheaval amid the president’s trade wars.
—Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025
The deal, announced just one day after the death of Pope Francis, follows years of litigation and financial upheaval within the diocese.
—Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025
Edelstein illuminates the fundamental dilemma at the heart of ancient and modern revolutions: the deep social conflicts that trigger political upheaval do not disappear in the aftermath of revolution, even as revolution sweeps aside those institutions needed to foster consensus.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upheaval
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upheaval
Noun
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All but one of the 26 people massacred were Indian citizens, prompting a new wave of unrest in a region claimed by both Pakistan and India and that has been the epicenter of often violent territorial struggle between the two countries.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2025
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The president’s tariff policy is another issue, along with a general state of unrest in Washington and rising concern that pressure from a variety of fronts could push the U.S. into recession.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Scully, Sand, and the Brotherhood were determined to flood the market, bringing the price of revolution back down to earth.—
John Semley,
Rolling Stone,
19 Apr. 2025
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The real revolution in the space economy isn't rockets.—
Reema Khan,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Shocked by this week’s earthquake, zoo elephants formed an ‘alert circle’ to protect their young at San Diego Zoo Get ready for the L.A. Times Festival of Books Our annual book festival is next weekend!—
Alyssa Bereznak,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2025
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Cuts to American aid under President Donald Trump have exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation — one which has reached catastrophic levels following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake on March 28.—
Emily Fishbein, Hpan Ja Brang,
The Dial,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The number comes as Trump's varying tariffs plan has led to market turmoil and raised fears about an impending recession.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2025
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His answer, given the exceptional political and economic turmoil in Canada, was a bit surprising.—
Ian Austen,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This historic protest inaugurated a summer of 300 to 500 barricades across France, establishing the tractor blockade as a symbol of agricultural revolt.—
Made by History,
Time,
25 Apr. 2025
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However, the worse the prison’s conditions become — as the workers are forced to slave away on secret Death Star parts with no promise of release — the more Kino is pushed to join Cassian and his brewing prisoner revolt.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Users have convened on 4chan to plan hacks like DDoS attacks, and conspiracy theories that festered on 4chan even reportedly inspired the January 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol.—
Matt Burgess,
Wired News,
15 Apr. 2025
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With military support from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain’s Sunni dictator Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa survived a Shiite insurrection.—
Bruce Fein,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Arrested repeatedly since the height of the Egyptian uprising in 2011, he was sentenced in 2021 to an additional five years in prison for spreading false news and assaulting a police officer – charges that human rights organizations say were politically motivated.—
Mounira Elsamra,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2025
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Rather than the epic battles of good vs. evil that ground the Skywalker saga, Andor's focus is the human cost of rebellion and harsh realities of a prolonged uprising against an authoritarian regime.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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East-Central Florida: Showers and isolated storms will be possible from mid to late afternoon, mainly near to northwest of the I-4 corridor.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
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Sultans of Swing by British rock band Dire Straits, which has become the squad’s anthem of the season, went down a storm.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Upheaval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upheaval. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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