uprising 1 of 2

Definition of uprisingnext
as in revolt
open fighting against authority (as one's own government) the uprising was quickly and brutally suppressed

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

uprising

2 of 2

verb

present participle of uprise

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun uprising differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of uprising are insurrection, mutiny, rebellion, revolt, and revolution. While all these words mean "an outbreak against authority," uprising implies a brief, limited, and often immediately ineffective rebellion.

quickly put down the uprising

When would mutiny be a good substitute for uprising?

The words mutiny and uprising are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mutiny applies to group insubordination or insurrection especially against naval authority.

a mutiny led by the ship's cook

When could rebellion be used to replace uprising?

The meanings of rebellion and uprising largely overlap; however, rebellion implies an open formidable resistance that is often unsuccessful.

open rebellion against the officers

How are the words revolt and insurrection related as synonyms of uprising?

Both revolt and insurrection imply an armed uprising that quickly fails or succeeds.

a revolt by the Young Turks that surprised party leaders
an insurrection of oppressed laborers

Where would revolution be a reasonable alternative to uprising?

In some situations, the words revolution and uprising are roughly equivalent. However, revolution applies to a successful rebellion resulting in a major change (as in government).

a political revolution that toppled the monarchy

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 uprising
Noun
For now, however, Rahmani warns that Iran’s domestic conditions may make any mass uprising extraordinarily difficult. Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026 Trump’s acts of war did not trigger a popular uprising. Nick Akerman, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
But was that uprising really such a good idea? The New Yorker, New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for uprising
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uprising
Noun
  • Internal revolt The clash over Russia and Israel has exposed a divide between the Biennale’s board and members of the international jury, a rotating cast of art world figures which awards the fair’s top prizes.
    Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 1 May 2026
  • The fiercest tax revolts are brewing at the local level.
    Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Firefighters witnessed a rare ‘ash devil’ while battling the Trinity fire in San Bernardino County — a whirling column of hot ash and embers created when rising heat meets shifting winds.
    Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2026
  • Those on the left see rising costs as an opportunity to advance their big government agenda.
    Star Parker, Boston Herald, 2 May 2026
Verb
  • Archer-Daniels-Midland, the 125-year-old agricultural processor and food ingredient provider, has been climbing quietly and steadily the past 12 months.
    Carter Braxton Worth, CNBC, 1 May 2026
  • Becerra quickly began climbing in the polls, and is now one of the leading candidates.
    Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Noun
  • His stand against the insurrection offended the Nebraska Republican Committee.
    Scott Pelley, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
  • In England chaos reaches its zenith when a Kentishman named Jack Cade, encouraged by York (who has been sent to put down a revolt in Ireland), mounts an insurrection that plays havoc in the streets of London.
    Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • But Azumi seems to be waking things up and putting Shiomachi Shotengai back on the map.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 May 2026
  • Andrillon warned against trying to harness the sleeping mind in the service of the waking world.
    Shayla Love, New Yorker, 1 May 2026
Verb
  • New York — The tables are set, the cameras are waiting and some of today’s most stylish cultural figures are ascending the steps of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
    Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 4 May 2026
  • That’s because ascending the Kardashev scale isn’t really a realistic goal—the scale is more a crude guide for thinking about how a technological civilization could grow and what its ultimate limits could be.
    Phil Plait, Scientific American, 1 May 2026
Noun
  • What was expected to be a quick vote turned into an hourslong saga as some House Republicans launched a rebellion over an issue with an unrelated farm bill.
    Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
  • The leader of the rebellion chatted with young kids carrying Princess Leia dolls and wearing Boba Fett masks.
    Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Japan Airlines is going to start rolling out its humanoid robots to help with baggage at Tokyo's Haneda Airport.
    Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The service is rolling out next month in Tampa, Dallas, Phoenix and Chicago, with more cities to come.
    Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Uprising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uprising. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

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