shake up

verb

shook up; shaken up; shaking up; shakes up
Synonyms of shake upnext

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

the news that we had failed the auto inspection shook us up
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Corbin's arrival could shake up the villa sooner rather than later, with the first recoupling officially taking place on June 7. Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026 She was shaken up sliding into the catcher, but stayed in the game. Ren Clayton, CBS News, 6 June 2026 Pratt has focused his campaign on reducing homelessness and boosting police ranks, arguing that an outsider is needed to shake up city hall. Michael R. Blood, Fortune, 2 June 2026 The redrawn congressional district boundaries enacted by Proposition 50 promise to shake up at least three seats, experts said. Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for shake up

Word History

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shake up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shake%20up. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.

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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