uproar

noun

up·​roar ˈəp-ˌrȯr How to pronounce uproar (audio)
: a state of commotion, excitement, or violent disturbance

Examples of uproar in a Sentence

There was a lot of public uproar over the proposed jail. There have been uproars in the past over similar proposals. The proposal caused an uproar. The town was in an uproar over the proposal to build a jail.
Recent Examples on the Web But the wider internet audience can always be relied upon to overlook a creator’s self-awareness in posting the joke, and Barfly’s bathroom videos are indeed engineered to create uproar. Jonathan Dale / The Takeout, Quartz, 17 Mar. 2024 The uproar over the huge gap in equipment in men’s and women’s weight rooms at the NCAA basketball tournament in 2021 put a spotlight on inequities for male and female college athletes. Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 But the uproar over the Mother’s Day photo shows that this strategy comes with its own risks, not least that a family portrait has added to the very misinformation about her that it was calculated to counteract. Mark Landler, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024 On The Job Even before the uproar at Harvard and Penn, the average tenure of college presidents has been shrinking for some time. Michael Sandler, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 These omissions were widely considered the most shocking Oscar snubs of the year, not that Mirren is in too much of an uproar. Zack Sharf, Variety, 20 Feb. 2024 The online uproar and ensuing backlash come as the debate over whether trans people should be allowed to participate in competitive sports leagues that match their gender identities continues to be a politically explosive issue in schools, elite sport and legislatures nationwide. Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 8 Feb. 2024 Some attributed the potentially mistaken uproar over individual TV volume that led fans to mis-hear the contestant's initial guess. Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 1 Feb. 2024 The proposal has been retooled since last year, when similar legislation passed in the Senate before dying in the House amid an uproar from residents in Miami Beach and several other coastal communities. Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

by folk etymology from Dutch oproer, from Middle Dutch, from op up (akin to Old English ūp) + roer motion; akin to Old English hrēran to stir

First Known Use

1526, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of uproar was in 1526

Dictionary Entries Near uproar

Cite this Entry

“Uproar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uproar. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

uproar

noun
up·​roar ˈəp-ˌrō(ə)r How to pronounce uproar (audio)
-ˌrȯ(ə)r
: a state of commotion, excitement, or violent disturbance
Etymology

from Dutch oproer "revolt, uprising," from op "up" and roer "motion"; the English spelling and meaning influenced by the similarity of the English roar to Dutch roer

Word Origin
The -roar part of the word uproar has no connection with the sounds made by some animals and crowds. The first use of uproar was as the translation of the Dutch word oproer, meaning "uprising, rebellion, revolt." Thus, the first meaning of uproar was the same as the Dutch meaning of oproer. Nowadays, this sense of uproar is no longer used. Because people thought that the roar of uproar referred to loud cries and sounds, they began to use the word to mean "a noisy disturbance or commotion." This is the sense of uproar that has survived.

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