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
Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Read more Trump signs executive order targeting college accreditation process
President Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday to shake up the college accreditation process, a topic that rarely gets political sunlight but is immensely important to universities.
—Aris Folley, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025
Jonathan Swan Annie Correal Mark Walker Charlie Savage, New York Times, 2 May 2025
The announcement confirmed earlier reports that Waltz would soon be leaving his role as national security advisor, marking the first big staffing shake-up of Trump’s second term in office.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake up
Verb
Zetterlund was always going to be a prime candidate to get more minutes if the Sens needed to shake up their lines.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Read more Trump signs executive order targeting college accreditation process
President Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday to shake up the college accreditation process, a topic that rarely gets political sunlight but is immensely important to universities.
—Aris Folley, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025
Noun
This is the first significant personnel overhaul of top White House aides, and the kind of shake-up President Trump has sought to avoid in his second term.
—Jonathan Swan Annie Correal Mark Walker Charlie Savage, New York Times, 2 May 2025
The announcement confirmed earlier reports that Waltz would soon be leaving his role as national security advisor, marking the first big staffing shake-up of Trump’s second term in office.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake up
Verb
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The post shocked many people and quickly garnered hundreds of outraged comments from readers telling the woman not to do it.—
Latoya Gayle,
People.com,
3 May 2025
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But America’s allies and trading partners have been shocked by the extent and speed of the change.—
Ned Temko,
Christian Science Monitor,
1 May 2025
Noun
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In the meantime, Huang is seeing a shakeout on the Amazon platform—and a shift to new markets.—
Elaine Pofeldt,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
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Run with Mad Miles, Urban Run Club and Nike for a one-and-a-half or three-mile shakeout run starting at The Venue in Raleigh.—
Alexis Clinton,
Axios,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This week: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce skipped out on the 2025 Met Gala for a very simple reason, Rihanna reveals her baby bump after the carpet shutdown, Zendaya and Anna Sawai wear almost identical looks and Hailey Bieber attends the event without Justin Bieber amid fan concern for the singer.—
Staff Author,
People.com,
8 May 2025
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Nearly as many voiced the same opinion about the shutdown of the humanitarian parole program for Venezuelans, which had previously provided a legal pathway before being suspended.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 May 2025
Verb
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Still, there is plenty here that should appall both Democrats and Republicans.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2025
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Dismay or appall you, sure, but never surprise you.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Dec. 2024
Noun
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From prospecting and lead qualification to closing, perfecting a business’s sales pipeline requires making careful decisions that turn potential leads into long-term customers.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
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Since then, there have been tit-for-tat escalations from both sides, including exchanges of gunfire between Indian and Pakistani troops along the border, the expelling of diplomats and nationals on both sides, the closing of airspace to each other’s airlines, and suspension of trade.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
7 May 2025
Verb
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When Kevin Anderson, Burns' friend from prison, read the transcript of the hearing, he was stunned.—
Erin Moriarty, Liza Finley,
CBS News,
4 May 2025
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The speed of China’s advances has stunned even foreign carmakers with deep roots in the country, which shut its borders for years during the Covid-19 pandemic.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shake up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake%20up. Accessed 14 May. 2025.
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