: a state of commotion, excitement, or violent disturbance
Examples of uproar in a Sentence
There was a lot of public uproar over the proposed jail.
There have been uproars in the past over similar proposals.
The proposal caused an uproar.
The town was in an uproar over the proposal to build a jail.
Recent Examples on the Web
She was fired from the DOJ amid public uproar over the department’s nonrelease of files related to Epstein.
—
Annabella Rosciglione, The Washington Examiner, 17 July 2025
Walker also pointed out that a similar uproar happened in 2018, when Queen Elizabeth welcomed President Donald Trump for a state visit.
—Meredith Kile, People.com, 10 July 2025
Wilson’s essay had a small readership which is why his critique of Washington didn’t cause an uproar.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
There is a sense that if a Conservative government were behaving like Nandy, there would be more uproar about the BBC’s independence.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for uproar
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Annabella Rosciglione, The Washington Examiner, 17 July 2025
Walker also pointed out that a similar uproar happened in 2018, when Queen Elizabeth welcomed President Donald Trump for a state visit.
—Meredith Kile, People.com, 10 July 2025
Wilson’s essay had a small readership which is why his critique of Washington didn’t cause an uproar.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
There is a sense that if a Conservative government were behaving like Nandy, there would be more uproar about the BBC’s independence.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for uproar
Cite this Entry
“Uproar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uproar. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
uproar
noun
up·roar
ˈəp-ˌrō(ə)r 
-ˌrȯ(ə)r
: a state of commotion, excitement, or violent disturbance
Etymology
from Dutch oproer "revolt, uprising," from op "up" and roer "motion"; the English spelling and meaning influenced by the similarity of the English roar to Dutch roer
Word Origin
The -roar part of the word uproar has no connection with the sounds made by some animals and crowds. The first use of uproar was as the translation of the Dutch word oproer, meaning "uprising, rebellion, revolt." Thus, the first meaning of uproar was the same as the Dutch meaning of oproer. Nowadays, this sense of uproar is no longer used. Because people thought that the roar of uproar referred to loud cries and sounds, they began to use the word to mean "a noisy disturbance or commotion." This is the sense of uproar that has survived.
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