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
The upheaval comes as the SDNY, known for bringing major white-collar crime and terrorism cases, has seen a leadership crisis in recent months following Trump’s second return to power — cycling through five U.S. attorneys since December.
—
Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2025
Trump critics say the abrupt change is ill-timed as Americans are already grappling with economic uncertainty and market upheaval amid the president’s trade wars.
—Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025
The deal, announced just one day after the death of Pope Francis, follows years of litigation and financial upheaval within the diocese.
—Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025
Edelstein illuminates the fundamental dilemma at the heart of ancient and modern revolutions: the deep social conflicts that trigger political upheaval do not disappear in the aftermath of revolution, even as revolution sweeps aside those institutions needed to foster consensus.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upheaval
Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2025
Trump critics say the abrupt change is ill-timed as Americans are already grappling with economic uncertainty and market upheaval amid the president’s trade wars.
—Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025
The deal, announced just one day after the death of Pope Francis, follows years of litigation and financial upheaval within the diocese.
—Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025
Edelstein illuminates the fundamental dilemma at the heart of ancient and modern revolutions: the deep social conflicts that trigger political upheaval do not disappear in the aftermath of revolution, even as revolution sweeps aside those institutions needed to foster consensus.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upheaval
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upheaval
Noun
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All but one of the 26 people massacred were Indian citizens, prompting a new wave of unrest in a region claimed by both Pakistan and India and that has been the epicenter of often violent territorial struggle between the two countries.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2025
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The president’s tariff policy is another issue, along with a general state of unrest in Washington and rising concern that pressure from a variety of fronts could push the U.S. into recession.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Recommended Dignity As war with Russia drags on, Ukrainians wage parallel ‘revolution of dignity’ So, too, the Iranians, with whom Mr. Trump’s envoy held a fourth round of nuclear talks over the weekend.—
Ned Temko,
Christian Science Monitor,
1 May 2025
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There’s one particular aspect fascinating experts: The solar boom is a grassroots revolution and almost none of it is in the form of big solar farms.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
1 May 2025
Noun
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On the morning of April 14, a 5.2-magnitude earthquake hit San Diego County and was widely felt across Southern California and northern Mexico.—
Faris Tanyos,
CBS News,
4 May 2025
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The bitcoin price has surged almost 30% since falling to April lows and is nearing $100,000 per bitcoin as the market braces for a $10 trillion Wall Street earthquake.—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
Noun
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The number comes as Trump's varying tariffs plan has led to market turmoil and raised fears about an impending recession.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2025
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His answer, given the exceptional political and economic turmoil in Canada, was a bit surprising.—
Ian Austen,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This historic protest inaugurated a summer of 300 to 500 barricades across France, establishing the tractor blockade as a symbol of agricultural revolt.—
Made by History,
Time,
25 Apr. 2025
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However, the worse the prison’s conditions become — as the workers are forced to slave away on secret Death Star parts with no promise of release — the more Kino is pushed to join Cassian and his brewing prisoner revolt.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Foreign funders of an insurrection interfered in our domestic affairs from the start.—
Rachel Marsden,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2025
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The charge of masterminding insurrection faced by the impeached leader is punishable by life imprisonment or even death, although South Korea has not executed anyone in decades.—
Joyce Lee,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The historic exchange, centered on the 1971 Attica prison uprising, is now featured in the first episode of MSNBC’s new docuseries David Frost Vs. In a chilling twist, Lennon’s assassin would later be incarcerated at Attica for more than 30 years following the musician’s 1980 murder.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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When peasant rebellions appeared, they were crushed even in superficially democratic countries such as India, whose government violently suppressed the Naxalite uprisings in West Bengal.—
Nikil Saval,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
29 Apr. 2025
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Sultans of Swing by British rock band Dire Straits, which has become the squad’s anthem of the season, went down a storm.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Upheaval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upheaval. Accessed 12 May. 2025.
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