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.
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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
Etymology
Origin of upheaval
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.
An AI upheaval is coming for media—and this journalist is already all in.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
By studying which species lived before this extinction and how they responded to environmental changes, researchers can gain insight into how life adapts during periods of major upheaval.
From Science Daily • Mar. 21, 2026
Still, despite the war upheaval, private credit angst and tech sector malaise, the S&P 500 is down 3.5% for the year—precisely the same decline booked over the same period in 2025.
From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026
The leadership shift comes amid an upheaval in Hollywood as traditional companies wage a desperate battle for survival.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
These changes did not come without internal upheaval.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
