shake-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈshāk-ˌəp 

: 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

Synonyms of shake-up

Verb

• shock
• appall
• stun

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

But despite its recent struggles and leadership shake-ups, Novo Nordisk remains a formidable rival for Eli Lilly in the space. —Annika Kim Constantino,jacob Pramuk, CNBC, 21 Nov. 2025

In a big restaurant industry shake-up, Michelin has announced that Alinea, the Inn at Little Washington, and Masa will be demoted from three stars to two when the latest guides for each region are announced at the upcoming Northeast Cities ceremony. —Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 12 Nov. 2025

Verb

And while DeBoer to Penn State would certainly shake up the college football landscape, not to mention create another major college football job opening at Alabama, one top CFB insider believes DeBoer isn’t a realistic possibility for the Nittany Lions. —Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Nov. 2025

Monica welcomed Max to the stage with a warm embrace, and the Harlem native shook up the shocked arena crowd. —Michael Saponara, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1847, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for shake-up

• buttercup
• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup

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