shake up 1 of 2

verb

Definition of shake upnext
as in to shock
to cause an unpleasant surprise for the news that we had failed the auto inspection shook us up

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shake-up

2 of 2

noun

as in shakeout

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of shake up
Verb
The opening of the new Mystic Lake Amphitheater in Shakopee this summer shook up the local concert scene, with some 40 shows booked there that otherwise would have hit a local arena or the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand. — Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 6 Sep. 2026 That vision quickly gets a lot more ambitious — and a lot more chaotic — as Murdoch and Larry lay out their plans for shaking up the newspaper world. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
Noun
Following Thursday’s historic episode, the game is getting a major shake-up, with no Head of Household (HOH), Power of Veto or BB Blockbuster competitions. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026 The auction house Phillips is currently going through a major executive shake-up as several high-profile senior leaders have exited the company this summer, as ARTnews reported last week. — Hok-Hang Cheung, ARTnews.com, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shake up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake up
  1. shock
  2. shakeout
  3. appall
  4. shutdown
  5. stun
  6. closing
Verb
  • Its closure was abrupt and shocked several fans who posted on social media.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
  • During the 1990s, mafia-style killings of public figures were a common occurrence in Bulgaria, but the latest outburst of violence has shocked the country, amid a heated campaign for presidential elections next month.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of shock
Noun
  • More importantly, according to several insiders, in the midst of a shakeout that is seeing executives stay or exiting, DC heads James Gunn and Peter Safran are staying put.
    — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The reflex sell-off after Wednesday's Federal Reserve rate hike gave the S&P 500 a momentary test of 7500, which proved a timely shakeout.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of shakeout
Verb
  • Smith died at the age of ninety-four in 2017, having seen many years of the internet gossip reporting that came after her and having been appalled by it.
    — Lindsey Weber, Vanity Fair, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The cast, who had been supportive of Paul’s controversy and mental-health struggles before the cancellation, were appalled at a video leaked in March of Paul throwing a stool at her ex, Dakota Mortensen, that almost hit her young daughter.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of appall
Noun
  • Hohns kept his capital investments minimal, fearing a shutdown.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • In my experience, many corporate teams drift between sympathetic over-activation (burnout) and dorsal shutdown (disengagement).
    — Roy Ward, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of shutdown
Verb
  • Sabrina Carpenter stunned in a pantsless look at the 2026 MTV VMAs on September 27.
    — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 28 Sep. 2026
  • André Luiz and Calvin Harris scored first-half goals to back the first career clean sheet from Stefan Cleveland and Sporting Kansas City stunned the Houston Dynamo 2-0 on Saturday night.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of stun
Noun
  • The council also plans to hold special public hearings, to find out how the Academy got to the point of closing, and what possible solutions might look like.
    — Andrew Stelzer, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
  • See fans’ reactions and more details of the closing in my recent story.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of closing

Browse Nearby Words

shakes up
shake up
shake-up
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Cite this Entry

“Shake up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake%20up. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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