upheaval
Americannoun
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strong or violent change or disturbance, as in a society.
the upheaval of war.
- Synonyms:
- turmoil, disorder, disruption
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an act of upheaving, especially of a part of the earth's crust.
-
the state of being upheaved.
-
Geology. an upward warping of a part of the earth's crust, forcing certain areas into a relatively higher position than before.
noun
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a strong, sudden, or violent disturbance, as in politics, social conditions, etc
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geology another word for uplift
Etymology
Origin of upheaval
Explanation
Upheaval means a violent or sudden change. You might talk about an upheaval in government following an election where many incumbents are replaced. Upheaval is a geological term for the upward displacement of the earth's crust that has stretched to include a change in power or ideas. If you suddenly found out your favorite teacher was running a pyramid scheme and had escaped to a Caribbean island, you might experience an upheaval in your attitude toward teachers in general.
Vocabulary lists containing upheaval
Brace Yourself: Earthquake Words
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Mayhem! Chaos! Pandemonium!
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Bridge to Terabithia
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Upheaval is expected at CNN if parent company Warner Bros.
From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026
Upheaval in recent weeks over Target's handling of immigration enforcement in its hometown of Minneapolis has added to the challenges at the firm.
From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026
Appeared in the January 15, 2026, print edition as 'Venezuela Navigates a New Dynamic Amid Upheaval'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026
Adapting Through Environmental Upheaval: These early toolmakers lived through periods of intense climate instability.
From Science Daily • Nov. 4, 2025
The same Depression and Upheaval might account for the Advance and Retreat of the Alpine Glaciers.
From The Antiquity of Man by Lyell, Charles, Sir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
