1. A violent disturbance
   "the upheavals of the stock market";
   - convulsion, turmoil
    
2. A state of violent disturbance and disorder (as in politics or social conditions generally)
   "the industrial revolution was a period of great upheaval";
   - turbulence, Sturm und Drang
    
3. A state of noisy disturbance, confusion, or commotion
   "The proposed tax increase caused an upheaval among the citizens";
   - agitation, excitement, turmoil, hullabaloo [informal], hullaballoo
    
4. (geology) a rise of land to a higher elevation (as in the process of mountain building)
   "The upheaval of the fault created a steep cliff";
   - uplift, upthrow, upthrust

Derived forms: upheavals

Type of: ascension, ascent, carry-on [Brit, informal], commotion, disorder, disruption, disturbance, flutter, hoo-ha [informal], hoo-hah [informal], hurly burly, kerfuffle [Brit, informal], rise, rising, song and dance [Brit, informal], to-do [informal]

Encyclopedia: Upheaval