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
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Recent Examples of upheaval
Time and again, regulation has followed upheaval, creating national standards to safeguard workers, consumers, investors, and the environment.
—
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
For the heir to the throne and his wife, Kate Middleton, though, change doesn’t mean upheaval but rather modernization — a monarchy more emotionally attuned and grounded in everyday life.
—Erin Hill, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Despite all the upheaval in the summer, Liverpool are a point off the top of the Premier League table.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
There has been a lot of industry upheaval.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upheaval
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
For the heir to the throne and his wife, Kate Middleton, though, change doesn’t mean upheaval but rather modernization — a monarchy more emotionally attuned and grounded in everyday life.
—Erin Hill, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Despite all the upheaval in the summer, Liverpool are a point off the top of the Premier League table.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
There has been a lot of industry upheaval.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upheaval
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upheaval
Noun
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But elections could act as a lightning rod for frustration over political repression to tip over into unrest.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
10 Oct. 2025
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Lecornu appeared to have negotiated a safeguard against further political unrest.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Employers can tap our natural human urge to connect through culture-building and clear organizational purpose – especially during rapid transformation like the AI revolution and other economic pressures.—
Jason Del Rey,
Fortune,
15 Oct. 2025
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Appelhans compared today’s animation landscape to music’s digital revolution.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The first is an earthquake that rattles the house into disarray.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Oct. 2025
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Historical evidence suggests that a powerful earthquake and tsunami struck Alexandria centuries ago, causing much of the land to sink into the Mediterranean.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The Treasury secretary announced a lifeline Thursday that’s designed to pull the country’s financial markets out of deepening turmoil, and a close political ally out of a hole.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
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The coins reflect a time of turmoil Archaeologists have confirmed that the coins mainly date to the 12th century.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Former Roanoke women's swim captain Lily Mullens, who led an athlete revolt against the program in 2023 that culminated in a press conference and lawsuit, told Fox News Digital her reaction to Spanberger's answer.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
12 Oct. 2025
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The Onondagas support plans announced by the mayor of Syracuse in 2020 to remove the statue of Columbus, an Italian explorer who helped the Spanish establish a colonial foothold in the Caribbean and later suppressed revolts by Indigenous people.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There has to be an insurrection in order for him to be allowed to invoke it.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Oct. 2025
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First passed in 1792, the federal law gives presidents the power to deploy the military domestically under certain conditions, such as civil disorder, insurrection and armed rebellion.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Barghouti has spent more than 20 years in prison and is serving five life sentences after his 2004 conviction for the murder of four Israelis and a Greek Orthodox monk during the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising.—
Yamiche Alcindor,
NBC news,
10 Oct. 2025
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Krasznahorkai was born in Hungary in 1954, two years before the Soviets viciously crushed an uprising in Budapest, and his first two novels are soaked through with an atmosphere of political terror.—
Walt Hunter,
The Atlantic,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The seemingly low-risk, high-reward form of gambling has taken the sports betting world by storm.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
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Follow our coverage of the latest rain totals, forecasts and alerts as storms move through the state.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Upheaval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upheaval. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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