upheaval
Americannoun
-
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
-
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 new EV report adds to Lucid’s recent woes, including upheaval on the executive level.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Political upheaval gave way to gang violence following the 2021 assassination of Haiti’s president, resulting in more Haitians seeking the status in the early 2020s.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
His charm won admirers in high society, and his novels addressed social problems that divided England in a period of economic upheaval.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
Even before the quakes, Venezuela had been struggling with economic crisis and political upheaval that left infrastructure and health services depleted.
From Barron's ● Jul. 5, 2026
But he did not want to cause upheaval or controversy.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
Woodward seized more influence over antitrust after a series of internal upheavals at the division.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 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
The shock is hitting just as the country was cautiously emerging from the depths of one of its cyclical economic upheavals.
From Barron's ● Apr. 21, 2026
Sitting around a wood stove and drinking cups of coffee and tea, the residents reflected on the upheavals that had become a regular feature of their lives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2026
In fact, Lord Asriel had done nothing of the sort, but Jordan College was rich, and the Master had money of his own, even after the recent upheavals.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
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.
