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 Perhaps a famine, an outbreak of disease, or social upheaval? — Mike McRae 25, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026 The 1960s were a time of major political, social, and cultural upheaval. — Andrew Niemchick, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Aug. 2026 The album itself grew out of that collision of musical instinct and personal upheaval. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 25 Aug. 2026 For North American business leaders relying on the trade pact, which provides cross-border duty-free access across three markets, USMCA represents a critical source of stability and the upheaval is undoubtedly unwelcome. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for upheaval

Recent Examples of Synonyms for upheaval

Noun

That march, an inflection point in the Civil Rights Movement, also came at a fraught moment for the country, when economic headwinds, civil unrest, political division and the war in Vietnam bitterly divided Americans.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
That march, an inflection point in the Civil Rights Movement, came at a fraught moment for the country, when economic headwinds, civil unrest, political division and the Vietnam War bitterly divided Americans.

— Matt Brown, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of unrest

Noun

Their source was the collective enthusiasm of a population that had gone into revolution—a revolution forming committees of social self-reliance in every field.

— Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
In rural eastern Nebraska, a technology revolution could rise from fields of corn and soybean in the form of new data centers to power the artificial intelligence boom.

— Will Weissert, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of revolution

Noun

After the earthquakes, American Airlines transported relief supplies to Venezuela on a Boeing 737.

— Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
Critics say nuclear energy is too expensive and still faces risks from natural disasters such as earthquakes or floods.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of earthquake

Noun

Syria’s leaders are now positioning the country to benefit from a resurgence of regional turmoil.

— Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
Geopolitical turmoil, including war in the Middle East and US import tariffs, has brought urgency to an issue Icelanders have debated on and off for decades.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of turmoil

Noun

Not since voters passed Proposition 13, an iconic property tax limit, in 1978 and touched off tax revolts in other states has a California measure potentially affected America’s taxation policies so broadly.

— Dan Walters, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026
After years of requesting simpler access to the life-saving therapy – and partially getting it during the pandemic, without negative consequences – many in that world were in full revolt.

— Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of revolt

Noun

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
Stephen Colbert’s award-winning Late Show was canceled in a move that many have labeled political appeasement, and the flagship evening newscast baselessly recast the January 6 insurrection as a partisan squabble.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of insurrection

Noun

Udas is among a wave of reform-minded politicians who came to the fore after a popular and violent Gen Z uprising last year toppled the country’s political establishment.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
One of the things that was mentioned early on was a change in the regime there, an uprising by the Iranian people against this Islamic theocracy, which has long had control.

— Dana Taylor, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of uprising

Noun

An inquest opened Wednesday into the sudden death earlier this month of Jason Arday, a Cambridge University professor who faced a storm of plagiarism accusations.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026
Two small cedar trees were found snapped at the trunk, and that’s the extent of the storm damage, investigators said in a preliminary report.

— Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 26 Aug. 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 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of upheaval

noun

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