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

Although raised-field agriculture eventually ended -- likely because of population decline and social upheaval after European colonization -- this does not diminish the effectiveness of these systems.

Read more on Science Daily

Now that even CEOs wear hoodies and sneakers, it’s difficult to grasp what an upheaval the introduction of Casual Fridays was.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Like many other Romanov possessions, it shares the upheaval of Russia's tumultuous history over the last century.

Read more on Barron's

In Ian McEwan’s “What We Can Know,” war, sea-level rise and other upheavals have left humanity scraping by and unsure of itself.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But the upheaval and increased ICE presence hasn’t completely chilled community action.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

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