uprising

noun

up·​ris·​ing ˈəp-ˌrī-ziŋ How to pronounce uprising (audio)
: an act or instance of rising up
especially : a usually localized act of popular violence in defiance usually of an established government
Choose the Right Synonym for uprising

rebellion, revolution, uprising, revolt, insurrection, mutiny mean an outbreak against authority.

rebellion implies an open formidable resistance that is often unsuccessful.

open rebellion against the officers

revolution applies to a successful rebellion resulting in a major change (as in government).

a political revolution that toppled the monarchy

uprising implies a brief, limited, and often immediately ineffective rebellion.

quickly put down the uprising

revolt and insurrection imply an armed uprising that quickly fails or succeeds.

a revolt by the Young Turks that surprised party leaders
an insurrection of oppressed laborers

mutiny applies to group insubordination or insurrection especially against naval authority.

a mutiny led by the ship's cook

Examples of uprising in a Sentence

The government quickly put down the uprising. the uprising was quickly and brutally suppressed
Recent Examples on the Web Ireland might seem to be an odd place for a populist uprising. Henry Olsen, National Review, 15 Mar. 2024 The government crushed a nationwide uprising in 2022 that was led by women and girls who demanded an end to clerical rule. Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 News of her death triggered an astonishing social uprising, with women burning their headscarves on the street and many voicing calls not simply for reform of the regime, but for a wholesale defenestration of the ruling clerics. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024 Frustrations with the way the war was being fought provoked an armed uprising in which gun-toting Wagner mercenaries marched on Moscow, posing an unprecedented challenge to the Kremlin’s authority. Matthew Chance, CNN, 24 Feb. 2024 That year, the same one in which Ukrainians ousted a pro-Kremlin leader in a popular uprising, Russia also fomented a separatist uprising in Ukraine’s industrial east, which Ukraine considers the true beginning of the current war. Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2024 Economic deprivation also may have limited the scope of the uprising in 2022, with few calls for mass strikes at a time of insecurity and a weakened middle class. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024 Yet no words can do justice to the unbelievable spiritual uprising of those days. TIME, 2 Mar. 2024 In 2016, with Egypt having slid back into the authoritarianism that prompted the uprising, Younis launched her own media platform, Al-Manassa, which combined citizen journalism with investigative reporting. Peter Guest, WIRED, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'uprising.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of uprising was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near uprising

Cite this Entry

“Uprising.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uprising. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

uprising

noun
up·​ris·​ing ˈəp-ˌrī-ziŋ How to pronounce uprising (audio)
: an act or instance of rising up

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