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
Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 31 Aug. 2025
Amid the cast shake-up at Saturday Night Live, current and former stars are sharing their reactions to the news ahead of season 51.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
Apple is also shaking up its iPhone color strategy this year.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake-up
Verb
Meanwhile, Uranus’ retrograde in Gemini is adding a shake-up to your friendship zone.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 31 Aug. 2025
Amid the cast shake-up at Saturday Night Live, current and former stars are sharing their reactions to the news ahead of season 51.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
Noun
Kraft shook up his campaign by parting with his top advisers Will Keyser and Eileen O’Connor earlier this week.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
Apple is also shaking up its iPhone color strategy this year.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake-up
Verb
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Broadbelt’s death shocked the community and reignited a countywide conversation about the dual problem of unleashed dogs and overcrowded animal shelters.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
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Kristen Delano, a spokesperson for Koloma, told the Idaho Statesman in an interview that the discovery shocked scientists, many of whom thought hydrogen molecules were too small to collect underground.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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So many startups have launched over the last five years that many close observers in the space expect there to be a shakeout soon.—
Natalie Jarvey,
Fortune,
1 Sep. 2025
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The only question is which enterprises will survive the shakeout and lead the next industrial revolution.—
Mark Minevich,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Many are signaling a willingness to dig in during this round of funding negotiations after many, including Schumer, got blowback from the Democratic base for delivering the votes to offset a March shutdown without securing any substantial GOP concessions.—
Allison Pecorin,
ABC News,
12 Sep. 2025
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And, if Congress doesn't finalize a funding bill by the end of the month, NASA will face a government shutdown that will see most employees furloughed and programs halted.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Leo’s appalled; Geno looks forward to eating.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
7 Sep. 2025
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Trump’s victories against the bureaucracy have appalled many Democrats, though none have much of a theory on how to put Humpty Dumpty back together.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Successful as a top set-up reliever for Clase the past two seasons, Smith has struggled mightily in his closing opportunities.—
Bernie Pleskoff,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Three of every 10 Chicago schools sit at least half-empty, and closing or merging them remains a political third rail.—
Mila Koumpilova,
ProPublica,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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More than anything, when the show finally ends, its finale will stun most viewers into silence.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
10 Sep. 2025
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In 1936, an underdog American rowing team stunned the world by winning the Olympic Gold.—
Jerry Cahn,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shake-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake-up. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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