groundswell
noun
ground·swell ˈgrau̇nd-ˌswel 
1
usually ground swell : a broad deep undulation of the ocean caused by an often distant gale or seismic disturbance
2
: a rapid spontaneous growth (as of political opinion)
a groundswell of support
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The groundswell of support for Griner, one of the greatest players in women’s basketball, from the WNBA sisterhood has been remarkable and admirable. 
Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Aug. 2022 The groundswell of support has been unparalleled, said Lodriguez Murray, a senior vice president for the United Negro College Fund, the largest private scholarship provider for minority students and the leading advocacy organization for H.B.C.U.s. New York Times, 11 June 2022 One hundred days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised to support staff unionization—as the groundswell of labor organizing across the country reached the halls of Congress—the credibility of lawmakers is being put to the test. The New Republic, 10 May 2022 During last year’s political campaign, Youngkin attacked McAuliffe for those actions, capitalizing on a groundswell of conservative parental grievance against school systems in the wake of long coronavirus shutdowns. Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2022 The debate in Singapore has grown heated this year, in part because the ruling party seeks to address a groundswell of complaints from the thousands that deliver meals around the island daily. Yoolim Lee, Bloomberg.com, 18 Aug. 2022 The Biden administration declared the ongoing monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency on Thursday, a move that comes amid growing case counts and a groundswell of criticism over the way the administration has handled the outbreak. Helen Branswell, STAT, 7 Aug. 2022 Charitable organizations focused on reproductive health have reported a groundswell of philanthropic support nationwide since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2022 Dojaka, who won the LVMH Prize in 2021, was a natural fit for the e-tailer, with her groundswell of celebrity support and expansion into categories. Steff Yotka, Vogue, 7 July 2022 See More
Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Aug. 2022 The groundswell of support has been unparalleled, said Lodriguez Murray, a senior vice president for the United Negro College Fund, the largest private scholarship provider for minority students and the leading advocacy organization for H.B.C.U.s. New York Times, 11 June 2022 One hundred days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised to support staff unionization—as the groundswell of labor organizing across the country reached the halls of Congress—the credibility of lawmakers is being put to the test. The New Republic, 10 May 2022 During last year’s political campaign, Youngkin attacked McAuliffe for those actions, capitalizing on a groundswell of conservative parental grievance against school systems in the wake of long coronavirus shutdowns. Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2022 The debate in Singapore has grown heated this year, in part because the ruling party seeks to address a groundswell of complaints from the thousands that deliver meals around the island daily. Yoolim Lee, Bloomberg.com, 18 Aug. 2022 The Biden administration declared the ongoing monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency on Thursday, a move that comes amid growing case counts and a groundswell of criticism over the way the administration has handled the outbreak. Helen Branswell, STAT, 7 Aug. 2022 Charitable organizations focused on reproductive health have reported a groundswell of philanthropic support nationwide since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2022 Dojaka, who won the LVMH Prize in 2021, was a natural fit for the e-tailer, with her groundswell of celebrity support and expansion into categories. Steff Yotka, Vogue, 7 July 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1786, in the meaning defined at sense 1