as in revolutions
a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order)
the government can no longer control the social upheaval brought about by the collapse of the country's economy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of upheavals
These are among the many questions posed by Simon Morrison’s sprawling biography of place, which seeks to understand a nation through the life of its largest city, tracing Moscow’s evolution via dozens of historical upheavals, from war, famine, drought, and much, much more.
—
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Evans’ historic eight terms as the first Black chief judge saw the county through reforms, changes and upheavals including the elimination of cash bail and the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
The upheavals of 2024 followed close behind.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025
Jack Warner set off the ’60s upheavals by abruptly selling his family fiefdom to an unknown entity named Kinney.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025
Millions of Americans may still believe warming exists, but far fewer view it as an imminent existential threat—let alone embrace sweeping upheavals in energy policy and personal lifestyle.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
The entertainment industry has experienced a series of upheavals in recent years.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 5 Dec. 2025
For now, oil continues to flow, the Iranian threat has been diminished, the fighting in Gaza has subsided, and there are no major upheavals.
—Ray Takeyh, Foreign Affairs, 4 Dec. 2025
The Industry Has Handled Huge Shifts Before When discussion turned to AI, Pearn recalled earlier upheavals.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upheavals
Noun
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Yet as neat and tidy as this sounds, such revolutions — especially those supported by outside interference — rarely proceed tidily.—
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The talk will encompass later American revolutions which related directly to principles expounded on in the Declaration of Independence such as abolition and women’s suffrage and civil rights.—
Noun
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It is estimated that there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year.—
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Last month, at least seven earthquakes rattled the coast of Alaska in a span of 24 hours.—
Noun
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The result was that, where earlier fiscal crises had been met by waves of municipal-level revolts against mainstream economic policies, New York witnessed no such revolts in the 1970s.—
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The Onondagas support plans announced by the mayor of Syracuse in 2020 to remove the statue of Columbus, an Italian explorer who helped the Spanish establish a colonial foothold in the Caribbean and later suppressed revolts by Indigenous people.—
Noun
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Wars and insurrections have afflicted other parts of the Middle East, but Baghdad—a city whose name was once synonymous with suicide bombings and sectarian murder—has been spared.—
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The president can also legally invoke the military under the Insurrection Act, which allows troops to be deployed in order to curb insurrections.—
Noun
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The United States could be on its 49th president by then, and Venezuela would need to remake its government as a democracy and resist potential uprisings.—
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The techniques of repression have become so refined that, as in Iran thus far, popular uprisings have been suppressed by efficient riot control and selective arrests and murders.—
Noun
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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said that more than 2,400 potholes have been repaired across the city in the week following a series of powerful winter storms that doused the region with rain over the Christmas and New Year's holidays.—
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There’s roughly two and a half months left of the winter season, which means that there are plenty of chilly evenings, snow storms, and freeze warnings to look forward to.—
Noun
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About two couples, connected and dependent on one another, raising their kids alongside each other, facing the same turmoils, the same existential questions.—
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Mayer and Strong offer a broad pop-history lesson, in which the same tensions and turmoils churn on and on in their terrible cycle throughout the decades; the only thing that’s changed are the aesthetics.—
Noun
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So are wild garlic and death camas, a plant that can cause vomiting, convulsions, coma and death.—
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Such an approach weathered domestic convulsions.—
Cite this Entry
“Upheavals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upheavals. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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