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

Relevance

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 Against encroaching social upheavals, the sovereign was resolutely the center of a mercantilist universe. — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 The upheaval continued into 2020 when the terms of the entire Chamber of Deputies ended along with two-thirds of the Senate in January. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026 Wernham pointed to a similar upheaval in 2023, when states undertook a massive process to redetermine the eligibility of all Medicaid enrollees, after regular eligibility checks were paused during the pandemic. — Aaron Bolton, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026 The board voted 5-4 last week to terminate her for convenience after months of upheaval surrounding an outside investigation that found no evidence of improper conduct by her. — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for upheaval

Recent Examples of Synonyms for upheaval

Noun

India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines are among the countries that are most exposed to food security risk from the super El Niño and also face the highest risk of civil unrest due to rising prices, Verisk Maplecroft said.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
French youths have been demonstrating over poor conditions at school buildings, and analysts expect unrest to intensify after a teenager’s hand was blown off by a riot police sting grenade.

— Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of unrest

Noun

The revolution has been crushed, tens of thousands remain imprisoned, and economic hardship has broken the backs of Egyptians.

— Abdelrahman ElGendy, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
The roots of that revolution were first planted in that warm soil by Cooke, who died in 1997, and Rothenberg six decades ago.

— Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of revolution

Noun

The earthquake's epicenter was approximately 10 miles east-northeast of Willows and occurred at a depth of 13 miles.

— CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
By 1926, Caltech was running the Seismo Lab with the Carnegie Institution, where seismologists like Beno Gutenberg and Charles Richter would deepen our understanding of earthquakes.

— Danny Robb, JSTOR Daily, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of earthquake

Noun

But deeper into the hills of the Ivy League institution, a homemade banner hanging from student co-op housing Saturday signals roiling turmoil.

— Taylor Galgano, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026
The song, written with Dan Wilson, isn’t just a story of the turmoil that befell the band post-2003.

— Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of turmoil

Noun

Amendment is also a constitution’s mechanism for the prevention of insurrection.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
As Port falls in with a group of conspirators preparing for the insurrection, the book takes on a hallucinatory, digressive quality, blurring the lines between life and death, reality and illusion.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of insurrection

Noun

Gómez Vergara’s documentary revisits Chile’s social uprising through a health brigade treating protesters injured by police repression, connecting present violence with dictatorship-era wounds.

— Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026
From 1896 to 1897, the region experienced what would come to be known as the First Chimurenga, a period of uprisings by the Indigenous Ndebele and Shona people against colonial policies.

— Chinatsu Tsuji, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of uprising

Noun

Whether windows have been damaged by a recent storm or have simply reached the end of their useful life, a coordinated replacement project can improve comfort, energy efficiency and curb appeal while helping homeowners prepare for future weather.

— Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
Beyond the microbes, mudflats, mangrove forests, and salt marshes help protect shorelines from erosion and storm surges.

— Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of storm

Browse Nearby Words

upgrading

upheaval

upheavals

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Upheaval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upheaval. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of upheaval

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

inscrutable

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes