as in revolutions
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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Recent Examples of upheavals
My mother reported her friends’ upheavals to me matter-of-factly.
—
Jennifer Acker, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026
In a season-long arc, Gallagher will play Rod Finlayson, a charismatic, uber-independent, capable yet unreliable figure, whose arrival at the Gibsons’ marina on his beloved boat sets up a sequence of upheavals that Alberg and Cassandra will have to grapple with.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 7 May 2026
The vaccination campaign for measles was disrupted during Bangladesh's recent political upheavals.
—ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
Sitting around a wood stove and drinking cups of coffee and tea, the residents reflected on the upheavals that had become a regular feature of their lives.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Naturally, a recessionary economy is marked by vast uncertainty and can lead to great upheavals in the quotidian.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Over the course of the twentieth century, with its endless economic and political upheavals, the numbers of both people and reindeer in the camp have dwindled.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
The fundamental sources of our troubles, going back half a century, are economic inequality, political paralysis, corruption, mass immigration, and cultural and technological upheavals.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
The still untitled show will delve into their lives and explore how shifting political, social, and artistic upheavals shaped their relationship and oeuvre.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 12 Mar. 2026
Jennifer Acker, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026
In a season-long arc, Gallagher will play Rod Finlayson, a charismatic, uber-independent, capable yet unreliable figure, whose arrival at the Gibsons’ marina on his beloved boat sets up a sequence of upheavals that Alberg and Cassandra will have to grapple with.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 7 May 2026
The vaccination campaign for measles was disrupted during Bangladesh's recent political upheavals.
—ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
Sitting around a wood stove and drinking cups of coffee and tea, the residents reflected on the upheavals that had become a regular feature of their lives.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Naturally, a recessionary economy is marked by vast uncertainty and can lead to great upheavals in the quotidian.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Over the course of the twentieth century, with its endless economic and political upheavals, the numbers of both people and reindeer in the camp have dwindled.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
The fundamental sources of our troubles, going back half a century, are economic inequality, political paralysis, corruption, mass immigration, and cultural and technological upheavals.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
The still untitled show will delve into their lives and explore how shifting political, social, and artistic upheavals shaped their relationship and oeuvre.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upheavals
Noun
-
Like the industrial and financial revolutions that preceded it, AI offers a rare chance to redefine the human experience.—
Solo Ceesay,
Rolling Stone,
7 May 2026
-
Still, revolutions rarely come easy.—
Anna Cooban,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
The administration says the project is necessary to protect water deliveries for 27 million Californians and roughly 750,000 acres of farmland while improving reliability during earthquakes and extreme storm systems.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
-
As part of this work, hundreds of seismometers, as well as networks of fiber-optic cables, will be used to record even the tiniest of earthquakes, during periods of tranquility and unrest.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Starmer also has angered supporters with attempts to cut welfare spending, some of which were reversed after Labour revolts.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
-
Then came revolts and revolutions in Ireland, the Swiss cantons, the Rhineland, the Netherlands, the Italian states, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
There were rebellions, insurrections and an Appian Way lined with crucifixions.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
But the regime, besieged by insurrections across the country, abandoned Manbij.—
Anand Gopal,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In the United States, the Civil War reshaped the nation and redefined freedom, while revolutionary movements and nationalist uprisings spread across Europe.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
-
In 2020, during the George Floyd uprisings, Seattle became one of the country’s most volatile flashpoints.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Cloud cover will increase as the day rolls on, with a late chance for showers or storms.—
Lisa Meadows,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
-
So that may be kind of the most acute pain point for travelers, but the summer storms are still going to be coming.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
About two couples, connected and dependent on one another, raising their kids alongside each other, facing the same turmoils, the same existential questions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Mayer and Strong offer a broad pop-history lesson, in which the same tensions and turmoils churn on and on in their terrible cycle throughout the decades; the only thing that’s changed are the aesthetics.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Noun
-
Listeriosis can cause symptoms of fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.—
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
-
High doses can cause convulsions, cardiovascular collapse, stroke or death.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upheavals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upheavals. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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