: an act or instance of shaking up
specifically
: an extensive and often drastic reorganization
shook up; shaken up; shaking up; shakes up
2
: to jar by or as if by a physical shock
the collision shook up both drivers
3
: to effect an extensive and often drastic reorganization of
Examples of shake-up in a Sentence
Verb
the news that we had failed the auto inspection shook us up
Recent Examples on the Web
Ann Carrns, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Here are some standout questions received from email and social media:
A shake-up on special teams?
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 22 Jan. 2025
Christine Clarridge, Axios, 6 Feb. 2025
Just in time for things to hit the fan, the full moon in Leo will shake up your relationship sector on Feb. 11, forcing you to release unhealthy patterns and connections that aren’t serving you.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for shake-up 
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Noun
The start of filing season comes amid a shake-up of I.R.S. leadership.
—Ann Carrns, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Here are some standout questions received from email and social media:
A shake-up on special teams?
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 22 Jan. 2025
Verb
Zoom in: Here are just a few of our favorite spots shaking up alcohol-free drinks with the same creativity and flair that bars once reserved for their boozy counterparts.
—Christine Clarridge, Axios, 6 Feb. 2025
Just in time for things to hit the fan, the full moon in Leo will shake up your relationship sector on Feb. 11, forcing you to release unhealthy patterns and connections that aren’t serving you.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for shake-up
Dictionary Entries Near shake-up
Cite this Entry
“Shake-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shake-up. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
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