as in to shock
to cause an unpleasant surprise for
the news that we had failed the auto inspection shook us up
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shake-up
Arietta Hallock, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 July 2025
With few election shake-ups last fall, lawmakers returned to a legislature with little change in the status quo.
—Melissa Brown, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Naomi Rougeau, Robb Report, 18 July 2025
The Heat’s hope is that more time together will help fix some of those issues after shaking up its roster midway through last season with the Jimmy Butler trade.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake-up
Verb
Savory shake-ups of common breakfast aisle items caught me pleasantly by surprise.
—Arietta Hallock, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 July 2025
With few election shake-ups last fall, lawmakers returned to a legislature with little change in the status quo.
—Melissa Brown, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Noun
When the Ralph Lauren alum first set up shop in New York City’s West Village in 2001, the shrunken gray flannel ensembles shook up the fashion world and have now become part of the brand’s design iconography.
—Naomi Rougeau, Robb Report, 18 July 2025
The Heat’s hope is that more time together will help fix some of those issues after shaking up its roster midway through last season with the Jimmy Butler trade.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake-up
Verb
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John Cena turning heel, meaning changing from a good to bad character, shocked the WWE Universe like nothing that had come before it and even reverberated throughout the sports and pop culture world at large.—
Skyler Trepel,
People.com,
30 July 2025
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Horner's sudden exit after a 20-year association with Red Bull shocked the F1 world.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 July 2025
Noun
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But at the shakeout, shares still closed about 37% higher on the day, on trading volumes of over 184 million shares, almost 17 times more than the average over the past 30 days.—
Mark Faithfull,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
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For investors, developers, and tenants, the message is clear: The forthcoming shakeout from America’s return to office will create distinct winners and losers, with the South leading the way into recovery.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
10 July 2025
Noun
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Modern reactors, such as the EPR (European Pressurized Reactor) in France or the AP1000 developed by Westinghouse in the U.S., feature redundant core cooling systems, double containment structures, and automatic shutdown protocols that do not rely on human intervention in the case of a meltdown.—
Anna Broughel,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
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Here’s how to tune in to the final race before Formula One’s summer shutdown.—
Jenny Catlin,
New York Times,
31 July 2025
Verb
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Spielberg imagined it as a noise that has the power to appall.—
David Denby,
Vulture,
3 July 2025
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Still, there is plenty here that should appall both Democrats and Republicans.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Every community will be hurt by Corporation for Public Broadcasting closing.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
2 Aug. 2025
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Without closing schools, the district risked bankruptcy, a state takeover and loss of local control.—
Lizette Anaya,
Mercury News,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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While she was alarmed by shiny black leggings, slingback boots, and a jean jacket, I was equally stunned by her Pentecostal version of nurses’ scrubs; a powder blue, boxy dress with a matching jacket and headwrap.—
Essence,
Essence,
24 July 2025
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For their part, other village trustees seemed shocked and stunned by these accounts.—
Jerry Shnay,
Chicago Tribune,
22 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shake-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake-up. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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