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
McConaughey’s thinking, amid the AI upheaval, is that actors must get as much legal protection for themselves as possible.
—
Todd Spangler, Variety, 14 May 2026
Since use of the boxes was made public, the school district has faced months of upheaval.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 14 May 2026
And after a decline in attendance that may be an indication of a fan base fatigued by prices, a lack of marquee nonconference games, high roster turnover and the general upheaval in college athletics.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2026
Critics say the leadership upheaval signals unusual instability and raises concerns about whether agencies have sufficient scientific expertise to respond effectively to public health emergencies.
—Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for upheaval
Todd Spangler, Variety, 14 May 2026
Since use of the boxes was made public, the school district has faced months of upheaval.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 14 May 2026
And after a decline in attendance that may be an indication of a fan base fatigued by prices, a lack of marquee nonconference games, high roster turnover and the general upheaval in college athletics.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2026
Critics say the leadership upheaval signals unusual instability and raises concerns about whether agencies have sufficient scientific expertise to respond effectively to public health emergencies.
—Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for upheaval
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upheaval
Noun
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The Pop Up Film Residency Wildcard is designed to support exceptional film talents from countries in a state of political unrest.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
19 May 2026
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And these are now increasingly fragile as a result of global unrest, climate change and a host of imitators.—
Rebekah Evans,
TheWeek,
19 May 2026
Noun
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And mistaking one for the other is another legacy of how the Cold War foreshortened the humanistic possibilities of the intellectual revolution of the past eighty years—a revolution that has, miraculously, allowed people to communicate with machines using human languages.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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Founding Fathers will go from the stirrings of revolution to the long and bloody fight for independence, and on into the early years of the American republic.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Scientists are continuing to find evidence that the earth beneath the Pacific Northwest is tearing apart, underscoring the need to study potential earthquake activity in the region.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
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The best way to protect yourself during an earthquake is to drop, cover and hold on, officials say.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2026
Noun
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The most recent turmoil stems from the second of two rulings from the state’s highest court that focused on a referendum campaign, called People Not Politicians, that last year turned in more than 305,000 signatures to force a November statewide vote on the map.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2026
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The cuts deepen the turmoil at Air India, following a devastating crash last year and the departure of its CEO last month.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
Noun
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After the fallout over the Epstein files’ revelations on Mandelson, Rayner led a lawmakers’ revolt to force the government to cede control to Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee to decide which documents should be released into the public domain.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
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Trump is facing something of a revolt at home.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Trump then referred to his $5 billion lawsuit against the BBC, over edits made in a 2024 documentary on the January 6 insurrection.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
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But for those less familiar—say, a teenager who was just 10 when the January 6 insurrection happened—the museum does not guide.—
Kelsey Ables,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
Noun
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In January, 2019, amid the popular uprising that would ultimately dissolve Bashir’s government, Ibrahim’s employer assisted the family in obtaining visas and plane tickets to Jordan.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
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Cody Bellinger then grounded into a forceout that produced a run, Amed Rosario got an RBI on an infield hit and Grisham capped the uprising with his sixth home run.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
Noun
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Lake Baikal, often described as an inland sea because of its enormous size, is notorious for sudden storms and icy conditions even during tourist season, according to National Geographic.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
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This flooding becomes even worse if accompanied by heavy rain or direct storm surge.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upheaval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upheaval. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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