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
But history suggests technological upheaval does not necessarily eliminate opportunity.
—
Preston Fore, Fortune, 2 June 2026
Of course, the speculative, the surreal, the fantastic has always lent itself to intense, often other-wordly experiences of grief and upheaval.
—Literary Hub, 29 May 2026
Amid upheaval at 60 Minutes, CBS News and recent changes at the outlet were the subject of criticism from the stage at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards on Wednesday night.
—Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2026
Crocodilian ancestors have persisted through mass extinctions, dramatic climate shifts and ecological upheavals that have eradicated countless other lineages.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for upheaval
Preston Fore, Fortune, 2 June 2026
Of course, the speculative, the surreal, the fantastic has always lent itself to intense, often other-wordly experiences of grief and upheaval.
—Literary Hub, 29 May 2026
Amid upheaval at 60 Minutes, CBS News and recent changes at the outlet were the subject of criticism from the stage at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards on Wednesday night.
—Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2026
Crocodilian ancestors have persisted through mass extinctions, dramatic climate shifts and ecological upheavals that have eradicated countless other lineages.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for upheaval
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upheaval
Noun
-
Madonna has made music through various calamities that at the time felt world-ending — wars, political unrest, financial collapse — so the terrors of 2026 don’t seem to faze her.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
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But its popularity didn’t spread beyond the northern Spanish city until the domestic unrest that had blighted the Basque region dissipated in the 2010s.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
The backstory Before there was a hotel, there was a revolution.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Said grew up in Iran in the decade and a half before the 1979 revolution and left for America shortly after it.—
Bozorgmehr Sharafedin,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
The best way to protect yourself during an earthquake is to drop, cover and hold on, officials say.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
5 June 2026
-
More than 10 million meals had been served in the Artibonite region over the past year, said the charity, founded by Chef José Andrés in Haiti after the country’s 2010 earthquake.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Gold is a safe-haven asset that investors gravitate toward when economic and political turmoil erupts, sending waves through the markets.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
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The new sanctions come as the administration is updating war plans to respond to potential turmoil on the island and after the Justice Department charged Raúl Castro for the murder of four people in the 1996 shootdown of two planes of the exile organization Brothers to the Rescue.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Many leaders would have resisted such a revolt.—
Bill Fischer,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
There were more than 50 days of popular revolt, which were met with considerable police violence, resulting in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries.—
Roberto Andrés,
The Dial,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
On the first day of his second term, Trump granted blanket clemency to nearly all individuals convicted of or charged with offenses related to the insurrection.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
3 June 2026
-
Prosecutors also revealed private messages to from Tarrio to senior leaders of the Proud Boys taking credit for the insurrection.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
Sparked by then-president Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to abandon European Union membership in favor of closer ties with Russia, the Maidan uprising ultimately led to his ouster.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2026
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In War and Peace, Tolstoy’s concept—among a million other things—was to show how the young people who lived through the Napoleonic invasion went on to lead Russia’s first democratic uprising, the Decembrist Revolt of 1825.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
December to March is technically rainy season but storms typically happen once per day.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
Variety spoke with Hollywood producers, filmmakers, distributors and YouTube executives about this sea change and the young rebels taking Hollywood by storm.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upheaval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upheaval. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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