shake-up

1 of 2

noun

: an act or instance of shaking up
specifically : an extensive and often drastic reorganization

shake up

2 of 2

verb

shook up; shaken up; shaking up; shakes up

transitive verb

1
obsolete : chide, scold
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
Noun
The great shake-up in cable TV continues, with Warner Bros. Discovery‘s TruTV the latest channel to be overhauled. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 Palestinian Authority gets a shake-up, but Abbas clings to power Abbas and his predecessor, the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, are depicted together in a mural overlooking the training center. Loveday Morris, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 How will Vikrant survive this web of lies, greed and murder? Showrunner: Sidharth Sengupta Cast: Tahir Raj Bhasin, Anchal Singh, Shweta Tripathi, Gurmeet Chaudhary Fabulous Lives vs. Bollywood Wives Release Date: TBC Logline: The cozy world of the Bollywood Wives is in for a shake-up. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024 Previous reports show this figure at a lower $84 trillion, but nonetheless confirms a shake-up in the foundations of spending power across the globe. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 29 Feb. 2024 Michigan moved up its presidential primary election as part of a nationwide shake-up of the electoral calendar led by the Democratic National Committee, and the state's presidential primaries going forward will take place on the fourth Tuesday in February. Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 27 Feb. 2024 In a dramatic shake-up of Ukraine’s military leadership earlier in February, Zelenskyy replaced his top military general, Army Cmdr. Richard Engel, NBC News, 25 Feb. 2024 But if upheld, the verdict will force a shake-up at the top of the company. Michael R. Sisak, arkansasonline.com, 17 Feb. 2024 That can wear on an organization over time, and there’s a feeling that perhaps Buffalo needs a shake-up to finally get over the hump. C.j. Doon, Baltimore Sun, 12 Feb. 2024
Verb
The league is shaking up NFL Network’s morning football talk show, Good Morning Football, moving production from New York to Los Angeles, and plotting a two-hour extension of the series, which will be sold in syndication. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 Steve Garvey, a late entrant to the race, prevails – thanks to Schiff Garvey’s late entry into the primary significantly shook up the dynamics of the contest in October of last year when the race consisted of mainly high-profile Democrats. Rachel Barber, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024 The Disruptors is a series done each Women’s History Month that highlights Black women shaking up industries and spaces we’re commonly not found in, and opening doors for other Black women and girls in the process. Janice Williams, Essence, 6 Mar. 2024 Hogan’s last-minute entrance in February shook up the high-dollar contest that had become largely a race between Trone and Prince George’s County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks. Erin Cox, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024 The planemaker has also shaken up the executive ranks of its commercial division, placing Katie Ringgold in charge of the 737 program, while promoting Elizabeth Lund to a new post as senior vice president of quality that also gives her oversight of companywide initiatives. Julie Johnsson, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024 The move comes amid growing U.S. pressure on President Mahmoud Abbas to shake up the Authority as international efforts intensify to stop the fighting in Gaza and begin work on a political structure to govern the enclave after the war. Ali Sawafta, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Feb. 2024 Republican Party of Wisconsin executive director Mark Jefferson will step down next month, shaking up the state party’s leadership just months before the next presidential election and the party’s national convention in Milwaukee. Lawrence Andrea, Journal Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2024 Topline Red Bull cleared its Formula One team principal Christian Horner of misconduct allegations Wednesday, bringing an end to a near month-long investigation that threatened to shake up the start of the team’s 2024 season. Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shake-up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1847, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shake-up was in 1538

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 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shake-up

1 of 2 noun
ˈshā-ˌkəp
: an act or instance of shaking up
especially : a reorganization that has extreme effects
lost their jobs in an office shake-up

shake up

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)shā-ˈkəp
1
: to jar by or as if by a physical shock
the accident shook up both drivers
the news shook us up
2
: to bring about an extensive reorganization of

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