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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Recent Examples of shake up
James Desio, Washington Post, 15 May 2026
When a team with high expectations underperforms at a point in the season when there is little opportunity to shake up the roster, the manager gets fired.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 12 May 2026
This is a category that is screaming for a shake-up.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shake up
Verb
The 2026 midterms are already being shaken up by populist firebrands and antiestablishment outsiders.
—James Desio, Washington Post, 15 May 2026
When a team with high expectations underperforms at a point in the season when there is little opportunity to shake up the roster, the manager gets fired.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
Noun
The move is a part of game-changing shake-up of AMPAS’s eligibility rules announced just prior to Cannes.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 12 May 2026
This is a category that is screaming for a shake-up.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shake up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake up
Verb
-
Din is shocked to discover the asset is a baby, Grogu.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
-
Alexander pinned Slater for the win, completely shocking the fans in Sacramento, California.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Duffy said that as a result of a low-cost carrier like Spirit shutting down, the industry will experience a shakeout where larger carriers that provide better offers and service take complete control.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
2 May 2026
-
Things apparently went well on the flight, which was a brief suborbital shakeout cruise.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Some were appalled by the cynicism of the company’s pitch, others by its client list, which included indie artists whose popularity fans preferred to imagine had spread organically.—
Lane Brown,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
-
The young Forster recoiled from the school’s culture of authoritarianism and militaristic chauvinism, which may have found expression in the students’ often appalling attitudes toward their own mothers.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
The move follows historically high airport security wait times this spring resulting from a partial government shutdown that led to widespread TSA agent callouts and staffing shortages.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
19 May 2026
-
China has also become Russia’s top trading partner and the biggest buyer of its oil and gas, a strategic bet now somewhat insulating Beijing from the impact of Iran’s effective shutdown of the crucial Strait of Hormuz trade route.—
Mithil Aggarwal,
NBC news,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Wild-eyed in a register that ranges from dreamy to terrified to stunned into submission, her performance is the most honestly felt thing here.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
18 May 2026
-
Authorities discovered the bodies of a man who worked for Henry County, a woman and an infant in a McDonough home on Tuesday night, leaving the woman’s family devastated and the man’s coworkers within the county’s Department of Transportation stunned.—
Reed Williams,
AJC.com,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
In some cases, that may involve flexibility around closing timelines, occupancy dates, or smaller logistical considerations that can influence how an offer is perceived in a competitive environment.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
-
Borrowers will often be able to float it down before closing and, in the interim, won't need to worry about any other incremental increases.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shake up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake%20up. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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