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
Peter White, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2025
The operations shake-up has been widely interpreted as a humiliation for Reeves and a bid by Starmer to get things moving for a government that has promised to deliver change and economic growth for the British people.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2025
Charlotte Observer, 12 Sep. 2025
For a summer thirst-quencher, shake up a Bee’s Knees or an Airmail.
—Brittany Anas, Denver Post, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake-up
Verb
Deadline understands that the cast shake-up, which saw four people including Heidi Gardner exit and five people including Please Don’t Destroy’s Ben Marshall join, is now complete, according to industry sources.
—Peter White, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2025
The operations shake-up has been widely interpreted as a humiliation for Reeves and a bid by Starmer to get things moving for a government that has promised to deliver change and economic growth for the British people.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
Bank of America is shaking up its executive leadership with new appointments as part of the Charlotte bank’s strategy to strengthen its global business.
—Charlotte Observer, 12 Sep. 2025
For a summer thirst-quencher, shake up a Bee’s Knees or an Airmail.
—Brittany Anas, Denver Post, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake-up
Verb
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These shocks land heavily on Hispanics, who are overrepresented in construction, service, and blue-collar work sensitive to inflation and policy disruptions.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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The charges come five days after 22-year-old Tyler Robinson was taken into custody in connection with the grisly killing that shocked the nation and stoked fears of more political violence.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But while fans eagerly await the leaderboard's final shakeout, one name has already slipped from contention: Robert MacIntyre.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Sep. 2025
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All-Terrain Testing My first run in the shoe was a short 5k shakeout on the roads around downtown Chamonix.—
Will Porter,
Outside,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But the funding extension is unlikely to succeed in the Senate, meaning a shutdown is still fast approaching.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
19 Sep. 2025
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Getty Images As Congress engages in its latest battle over federal spending that could lead to a government shutdown, keep your eye on policy changes buried deep in the House Appropriations Committee’s financial services spending bill.—
Howard Gleckman,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Kennedy holds views that clash sharply with the president’s legal reform agenda and should appall anyone who supports the president’s goal of reforming America’s legal system.—
Tiger Joyce,
Boston Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
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Leo’s appalled; Geno looks forward to eating.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Buoyed by those gains, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite secured new closing highs, with the former exceeding the 6,600 level for the first time.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
16 Sep. 2025
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However, grosses had already been trending down ahead of the closing notice amid mixed to negative word-of-mouth about Porter’s performance.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Aces Silenced by the Late Storm Push In the second game of the evening, the Las Vegas Aces were stunned by the Storm’s fourth quarter offense and lost, 86-83.—
Allison Smith,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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While many were stunned that an object like that would have been painted over at all.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shake-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake-up. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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