Upheavers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An individual or thing that causes significant disturbance or disorder in a system or situation
2. A person or entity that instigates major changes, typically in a disruptive manner
3. Someone who prompts considerable turmoil or transformation within an established framework or structure

Etymology: "Upheavers" is simply the plural of "upheaver," a noun meaning someone or something that upheaves. It is built from "upheave," a verb formed by adding the prefix "up-" to "heave," so the whole thing is a transparent compound of familiar parts: "heave" (to lift or push with effort) gains the sense of forcible rising, and the suffix "-er" turns the verb into a noun for the agent doing the action. The result is a word that names whoever lifts things violently out of their settled places.