upheaval
A sudden big change that causes trouble and confusion.
upheaval in a sentence
- Moving house twice in one year was a huge upheaval for the whole family.
- The roadworks caused upheaval in the village, with buses sent the long way round for weeks.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to upheaval?
- Apeace
- Border
- Ccalm
- Ddisruption
Show the answer
D: disruption. The other three mean the opposite of upheaval.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to upheaval?
- Adisruption
- Bchaos
- Cturmoil
- Dcalm
Show the answer
D: calm. The other three mean nearly the same as upheaval.
Words that mean something similar
disruption, turmoil, chaos
Words that mean the opposite
calm, order, peace
More words about time & change
- urgent: So important that it must be dealt with straight away.
- wane: To become gradually smaller or weaker.
- abolish: To officially get rid of something completely, such as a rule or law.
- abrupt: Sudden and quick, often in a way that feels rude or unexpected.
- accustom: To get yourself used to something new.
- amend: To change something slightly to make it better or correct.
- ancient: Very old; from a long, long time ago.
- antique: Very old and often valuable.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test