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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2025
Reimagining corporate jobs Tech giant Amazon’s approach is shaking up the corporate landscape.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2025
Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Fiserv announced an executive shake-up, with a new chief financial officer, co-presidents and board members.
—Tom Daykin, jsonline.com, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake up
Verb
The Disney transaction aims to shake up the streaming TV business, and also comes as Disney has seen its TV channels, including ABC and ESPN go dark on YouTube TV, the streaming multichannel video provider.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2025
Reimagining corporate jobs Tech giant Amazon’s approach is shaking up the corporate landscape.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
Or will a shake-up in personnel on PP1 become necessary?
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Fiserv announced an executive shake-up, with a new chief financial officer, co-presidents and board members.
—Tom Daykin, jsonline.com, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake up
Verb
-
An injury to Jordan Cox, who had been due to keep wicket, saw a reshuffle and a decision that shocked everyone.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
On Tuesday night, the football program was shocked to see on social media that Williams had announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Bloomberg | Getty Images Private equity fund managers are bracing for a wave of consolidation as investors demand higher returns and stronger governance, forcing a shakeout in an overcrowded industry, several industry veterans said at a high-level finance summit in Hong Kong on Tuesday.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
-
An hour long mediation and visualization session will be held directly before a 3 mile shakeout run featuring music, coffee and other refreshments.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Of all the recent poster boys for appalling misbehavior by the State Police, Michael Proctor would of course rank number one.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
4 Jan. 2026
-
Russia and China claim to be appalled, too, but to use a classic diplomatic expression, the leaders in Beijing and Moscow should be invited, with all due respect, to shut their traps.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The shutdown’s ripple effects spread across nearly every part of the air travel network Friday, with the nation’s busiest airports hit hardest.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Ending the government shutdown would ease the situation for controllers, but the FAA said the flight cuts will remain in place until their safety data improves.—
JOSH FUNK,
Arkansas Online,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Elkins was stunned by how quickly the video gained traction.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
On November 3, Paddington’s press tour brought him to the BBC, where journalist David Sillito was stunned into silence after seeing the bear in the flesh fur.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Set to host the Olympic and Paralympic athletics, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies, the stadium is due to be built in the 158-acre Victoria Park, just north of central Brisbane.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
7 Jan. 2026
-
His 2024 tape showed elite ball skills with fluid athleticism and explosive closing speed.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shake up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake%20up. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share