as in revolutions
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
Relevance
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 upheavals
But land does offer a hedge against inflation, diversification against economic upheavals, and provides a certainty that isn’t available with assets whose value can evaporate in a short time span, like Washington Mutual or Enron.
—
Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
Last year, the global development sector faced enormous upheavals, with the United States and other donor countries slashing aid budgets even as low-income countries struggled with debt burdens.
—Reem Alabali Radovan, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
But mistakes are almost inevitable given the extraordinary turbulence created by the pandemic and the associated government response (as well as the current policy upheavals).
—Raghuram Rajan, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
Today’s young men came of age on the social internet, during the upheavals of COVID-19, and under the political dominance of the most narcissistic and superficial president in American history.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
Russia is attempting to reassert its relevance after failing to support a series of allies who fell to internal or external upheavals.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 18 Jan. 2026
Shannon drew a surprising comparison to the political upheavals of 1968.
—Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
These are among the many questions posed by Simon Morrison’s sprawling biography of place, which seeks to understand a nation through the life of its largest city, tracing Moscow’s evolution via dozens of historical upheavals, from war, famine, drought, and much, much more.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Evans’ historic eight terms as the first Black chief judge saw the county through reforms, changes and upheavals including the elimination of cash bail and the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
Last year, the global development sector faced enormous upheavals, with the United States and other donor countries slashing aid budgets even as low-income countries struggled with debt burdens.
—Reem Alabali Radovan, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
But mistakes are almost inevitable given the extraordinary turbulence created by the pandemic and the associated government response (as well as the current policy upheavals).
—Raghuram Rajan, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
Today’s young men came of age on the social internet, during the upheavals of COVID-19, and under the political dominance of the most narcissistic and superficial president in American history.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
Russia is attempting to reassert its relevance after failing to support a series of allies who fell to internal or external upheavals.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 18 Jan. 2026
Shannon drew a surprising comparison to the political upheavals of 1968.
—Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
These are among the many questions posed by Simon Morrison’s sprawling biography of place, which seeks to understand a nation through the life of its largest city, tracing Moscow’s evolution via dozens of historical upheavals, from war, famine, drought, and much, much more.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Evans’ historic eight terms as the first Black chief judge saw the county through reforms, changes and upheavals including the elimination of cash bail and the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upheavals
Noun
-
In its simplest two-magnet form, the motor reaches about 1,300 revolutions per minute (RPM) before gearing.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Feb. 2026
-
But revolutions usually start small.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
It is estimated that there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
An earpiece was initially proposed strictly for emergencies — earthquakes, sudden weather changes — but Honnold readily agreed to stay connected and converse occasionally with the broadcast team below.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Continue reading … THINK AGAIN — New 'microgeneration' of students revolts against 'cringy' campus wokeness.—
,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The royal government was also known as a dictatorship for banning political parties, suppressing revolts and political opposition, controlling the press and having its own secret police force called SAVAK.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Unlike coups or insurrections, which are swift and explicit, modern democratic backsliding is often incremental.—
Helena Carpio,
Time,
16 Jan. 2026
-
The 1807 measure allows the president to deploy members of the military or federalize state National Guard members to contain insurrections.—
Sarah Davis,
The Hill,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Arab Spring uprisings reached Syria in 2011 and blazed up into civil war.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Urban uprisings and rebellions by Blacks stretched from coast to coast.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In 2020 and 2021, storms hit the Powers’ Yukon home.—
J.C. Hallman,
Oklahoman,
10 Feb. 2026
-
With these statistical corrections, researchers can more accurately predict how energy behaves in chaotic environments, such as during the formation of severe storms.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
About two couples, connected and dependent on one another, raising their kids alongside each other, facing the same turmoils, the same existential questions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Mayer and Strong offer a broad pop-history lesson, in which the same tensions and turmoils churn on and on in their terrible cycle throughout the decades; the only thing that’s changed are the aesthetics.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Noun
-
Meanwhile, White speculates that the Hong Kong funds also got pummeled by headwinds in the Yen-carry trade—which made their financing more expensive—and exposure to recent convulsions in the silver market.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Some permanent changes among survivors have been noted, including persistent convulsions.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upheavals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upheavals. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
