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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of upheaval
But the haphazard rollout of unprecedented global tariffs in April and the White House’s goal of reshaping the postwar order indicate that upheaval is not just incidental but a central policy objective.
—
Rebecca Lissner, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
Domestic political concerns, as well as tough losses suffered in nearly two years of regional conflicts and upheavals, appear to have led these Iran allies to take a backseat in the latest round convulsing the region.
—Abby Sewell, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2025
The enormous upheaval that the Trump administration has created will only magnify that uncertainty for Boomers.
—Charley Locke, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025
Amid last year’s upheaval, the Mountain West awarded full membership to both Hawaii and UTEP, added Northern Illinois as a football-only member starting in 2026, and welcomed UC Davis as a full, non-football member for the 2026–27 academic year.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for upheaval
Rebecca Lissner, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
Domestic political concerns, as well as tough losses suffered in nearly two years of regional conflicts and upheavals, appear to have led these Iran allies to take a backseat in the latest round convulsing the region.
—Abby Sewell, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2025
The enormous upheaval that the Trump administration has created will only magnify that uncertainty for Boomers.
—Charley Locke, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025
Amid last year’s upheaval, the Mountain West awarded full membership to both Hawaii and UTEP, added Northern Illinois as a football-only member starting in 2026, and welcomed UC Davis as a full, non-football member for the 2026–27 academic year.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for upheaval
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upheaval
Noun
-
The Trump administration has pardoned all Jan. 6 protesters and has taken actions against those who prosecuted them for a variety of allegations connected to the unrest.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
28 June 2025
-
With features like blast-resistant walls, ballistic glass and rapid evacuation elevators, Aerie is built to handle everything from civil unrest to the most extreme emergencies.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
But a December revolution ended the Assad family’s rule, and the former Islamist militant who leads the new government has sought new investment and trade links, which Gulf states in particular have been quick to offer.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
1 July 2025
-
On July 7th, Uranus, the planet of disruption, awakening, and revolution, enters Gemini for the first time since 1942.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
There are areas of Haiti that are that still have not recovered from the earthquake.—
Billal Rahman
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 June 2025
-
Earth processes – such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions – also trigger cascading hazards, often with long-lasting effects.—
Brian J. Yanites,
The Conversation,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
Especially given the turmoil with the other edge rushers, eyes are focused on seeing if Murphy looks like the same underachiever from the first two years or a blossoming athletic specimen.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
-
The turmoil points to a clash on competing visions over how to run the economy.—
Brit Morse,
Fortune,
6 July 2025
Noun
-
The revolt by a large number of Labour MPs against benefit cuts imposed by Keir Starmer is an example.—
Mike O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
-
Rumors of connections between Saint Domingue and slave resistance abounded in Virginia after 1793 and shaped how whites understood Gabriel’s revolt in Richmond in 1800.—
Time,
Time,
9 June 2025
Noun
-
Those dismissed include two attorneys who worked as supervisors overseeing the Jan. 6 prosecutions in the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington as well as a line attorney who prosecuted cases stemming from the Capitol riot and insurrection, the people said.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2025
-
Once the security forces started killing and torturing enough protesters, the demonstrations, which did spiral into insurrections in 2017 and 2019, petered out.—
ERIC EDELMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
In the decades after the Tibetan uprising in 1959, tens of thousands of Tibetans braved frostbite and Himalayan avalanches to live in the proximity of the 14th Dalai Lama.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
2 July 2025
-
The Gulf Arabs financed the counter-revolution against the popular Arab uprisings and worked to counter the influence of a stronger Iran.—
Dina Esfandiary,
Time,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
Severe storms in the US this spring caused millions of dollars in damages to crops.—
Umair Irfan,
Wired News,
28 June 2025
-
The storms may bring wind gusts of up to 60 mph and penny-sized hail (0.75 inches).—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Upheaval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upheaval. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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