as in shocked
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 shaken up
This is the fourth straight season Colorado has shaken up the center depth chart just before the deadline.
—
Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2026
The North Texas economy is poised to get shaken up by new technology, a prominent economist says.
—Trevor Bach, Dallas Morning News, 3 Mar. 2026
As such, the ensemble gets shaken up with each new season.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026
Worries over how artificial intelligence may disrupt software companies have shaken up those stocks, and Citi says some of them may be ripe for a rebound.
—Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2026
That included roughly two years ago after Duke’s loss at Wake Forest, when Blue Devils player Kyle Filipowski was shaken up after a Demon Deacons fan collided with him, while Jared McCain’s exit to the tunnel was briefly blocked by a Wake Forest fan.
—Aaron Beard, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
The accidental shooting left parents, staff and students shaken up.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
But the mayor of the state’s third-largest city has shaken up the most wide-open California governor’s race in decades.
—Grace Hase, Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2026
The shipping market is being shaken up by the intervention, with freight rates surging for some routes.
—Weilun Soon Bloomberg, Arkansas Online, 21 Jan. 2026
Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2026
The North Texas economy is poised to get shaken up by new technology, a prominent economist says.
—Trevor Bach, Dallas Morning News, 3 Mar. 2026
As such, the ensemble gets shaken up with each new season.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026
Worries over how artificial intelligence may disrupt software companies have shaken up those stocks, and Citi says some of them may be ripe for a rebound.
—Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2026
That included roughly two years ago after Duke’s loss at Wake Forest, when Blue Devils player Kyle Filipowski was shaken up after a Demon Deacons fan collided with him, while Jared McCain’s exit to the tunnel was briefly blocked by a Wake Forest fan.
—Aaron Beard, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
The accidental shooting left parents, staff and students shaken up.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
But the mayor of the state’s third-largest city has shaken up the most wide-open California governor’s race in decades.
—Grace Hase, Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2026
The shipping market is being shaken up by the intervention, with freight rates surging for some routes.
—Weilun Soon Bloomberg, Arkansas Online, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaken up
Verb
-
Their parents are shocked to see the couple living their normal lives covered in cameras.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Nobody should be shocked that the expected is now coming to pass.—
Franklin Foer,
The Atlantic,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That habit didn’t endear the Alspaws to anyone nearby, including one neighbor who threatened to shoot Brittany after the Alspaws frightened his horses.—
Tessa Stuart,
Rolling Stone,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Konstantin, 4, a sociable boy, is often frightened by loud noises and guards, his parents said.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Greene leaves big and loud shoes to fill, but her larger-than-life presence in Washington hasn't scared away candidates hoping to replace her.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
-
That term definitely scared off some other teams.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shaken up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaken%20up. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
