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 The scandal in question erupted in the eighteen-thirties in the Prussian college town of Königsberg—today, after wars and upheavals, the isolated Russian city of Kaliningrad. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 In 2010, both Canada and the United States began allowing Haitians to live in their countries following a deadly earthquake and subsequent political upheaval in their country. — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026 To be fair, the upheaval among OpenAI’s exec ranks has extended to men too; COO Brad Lightcap announced his exit last week. — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026 The story is meant to explores the collision between personal milestones and family upheaval. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for upheaval

Recent Examples of Synonyms for upheaval

Noun

Denis, who goes by Jan Mapou after his store, Libreri Mapou, has long been a fixture in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood, a refuge since the 1970s for Haitians fleeing dictators and political unrest.

— Chris Kenning, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
Columbia, which doesn’t have its own police force, handled the unrest by shutting, reopening, and resealing its borders, confusing even itself.

— Justin Davidson, Curbed, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of unrest

Noun

Two inequalities, of wealth and and of time, are the obstacle to the game-changing revolution in healthcare that these drugs represent.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026
Change has been a constant companion for Newcastle United since their takeover five years ago but perhaps for the first time, this summer has felt like a genuine revolution.

— George Caulkin, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of revolution

Noun

Their contractor has been installing an emergency sewer holding tank that will help the hospital operate in the event of a natural disaster such as an earthquake.

— Nicole Comstock, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
The earthquake's epicenter was about 6 miles east-northeast of Coso Junction and occurred at a depth of 1 mile.

— CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of earthquake

Noun

Despite all of this potential economic turmoil on the Canadian side, Carney still concluded that at the end of the day, the cost of acceding to Washington’s extravagant demands was higher than the cost of job losses and strain on a key industry.

— Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Despite the recent turmoil, shares are up around 14% in 2026.

— Alex Harring, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of turmoil

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

That summer, Detroit was paralyzed by a violent uprising, which erupted after the city’s predominantly white police force raided a night club in a Black neighborhood.

— Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
And much of that goes back to a 1989 uprising and crackdown known as El Caracazo.

— Tibisay Zea, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of uprising

Browse Nearby Words

upgrading

upheaval

upheavals

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“Upheaval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upheaval. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of upheaval

noun

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