upheaval

[uhp-hee-vuhl]

noun

1. strong or violent change or disturbance, as in a society.

   the upheaval of war.

   Synonyms: turmoil, disorder, disruption

2. an act of upheaving, especially of a part of the earth's crust.

3. the state of being upheaved.

4. Geology.,  an upward warping of a part of the earth's crust, forcing certain areas into a relatively higher position than before.

upheaval

/ ʌpˈhiːvəl /

noun

1. a strong, sudden, or violent disturbance, as in politics, social conditions, etc

2. geology another word for uplift

Word History and Origins

Origin of upheaval¹

First recorded in 1830–40; upheave + -al ²

Example Sentences

The upheaval of the school community is reflected in its enrollment.

From Los Angeles Times

The fire survivors are in limbo, still, with no idea how many years of upheaval they’re in for.

From Los Angeles Times

He likened the potential upheaval to a storm on the horizon, an “incredibly turbulent environment with looming thunderheads in all different directions.”

From Los Angeles Times

Whether tomorrow brings cosmic upheaval, one thing is certain: the next apocalypse is always just around the corner.

From Salon

St Catherine's Monastery has endured many upheavals through the past millennium and a half but, when the oldest of the monks at the site originally moved there, it was still a remote retreat.

From BBC

Related Words

• cataclysm 
• catastrophe 
• disaster 
• disorder 
• disruption 
• disturbance 
• eruption 
• explosion 
• ferment 
• outbreak 
• revolution 
• shakeout 
• temblor 
• tremor 
• tumult 
• turmoil