upheaval
Americannoun
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upheavals
plural
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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.
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the state of being upheaved.
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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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
The latest AI upheaval comes after a healthy run-up in August following July's rout, which had been fuelled by worries about returns on the vast sums invested in the sector as well as extended valuations.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
For those two things to be the new normal says plenty about the upheaval in one of the most turbulent summers in English cricket's recent history.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
Nathalie Tolentino was a hostess whose family came to the U.S. to escape political upheaval in Peru.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
WTI futures gained about 1.4% for the month, while Brent crude futures, which historically react more deeply to geopolitical upheaval, gained about 3%.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
I guess I was hoping that in the new upheaval they’d break a rule for me.
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
Woodward seized more influence over antitrust after a series of internal upheavals at the division.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Still, Fratzscher said that Germany had undergone economic upheavals before, and urged politicians and companies to try to ensure the economy emerges stronger.
From Barron's ● May 17, 2026
With a series of major upheavals in the past month alone, Roberts has signaled that he is shifting to a two-minute offense.
From Slate ● May 13, 2026
"Its lyrics and melodies are deeply tied to the Korean experience, and it's arguably the only modern genre that has survived the upheavals of the 20th Century."
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2026
I’ve already mentioned that Bigger had in him impulses which I had felt were present in the vast upheavals of Russia and Germany.
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
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.
