Meaning & use
upheaval
A sudden, violent, or dramatic change or disruption, often affecting a society, situation, or way of life.
See it in a sentence
The revolution caused years of political upheaval across the country.
Losing her job so suddenly brought real upheaval to her daily routine.
A note on using this word
Upheaval usually implies a large-scale or systemic disturbance rather than a small personal problem; it pairs naturally with words like "political," "social," and "emotional."
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
stabilitycalm
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “upheaval”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.