upheaval

American  

[uhp-hee-vuhl] / ʌpˈhi vəl /

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 British  

/ ʌpˈhiːvəl /

noun

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

2. geology another word for uplift

---

Etymology

Origin of upheaval

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

Example Sentences

Facing continued upheaval at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Jay Bhattacharya, the new acting director, arrived at its Atlanta headquarters last week to steady the ship.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Anthropic CEO said as much in public interviews, often warning that rapid AI advances risked causing widespread social and economic upheaval.

From The Wall Street Journal

Such a scenario could trigger a massive upheaval that shakes the economic, political and cultural foundations of the country to the core.

From MarketWatch

The upheaval has involved resignations, a work stoppage and a protest.

From The Wall Street Journal

There was more upheaval last week at the news magazine, when “60 Minutes” correspondent and CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper announced that he’d be leaving to spend more time with his family.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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