as in upset
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as in shocked
to cause an unpleasant surprise for
the news that we had failed the auto inspection shook us up
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Recent Examples of shook-up
Todd Spangler, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Investors have grown more bullish on China’s AI sector even since DeepSeek shook up the AI narrative last year.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
Zuckerberg shook up his company's strategy after the April release of Llama 4, which failed to captivate developers.
—Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026
Slotkin shies away from answer on 2028 Visiting Iowa used to hold more obvious significance for Democrats before the party shook up the early presidential nominating calendar last cycle, bumping Iowa from its place as the first state to weigh in on the nominations.
—Hannah Fingerhut, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Shelton shook up the lineup before Monday’s game and the Twins (4-6) got some immediate results.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 7 Apr. 2026
Spielberg’s vision shook up the pantheon of prehistory, elevating the once-obscure predator Velociraptor to box-office stardom and winning it a place on an NBA expansion team’s jerseys.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
The rising style star shook up her glam in the ‘90s, ditching the colorful shade for more neutral tones.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 4 Apr. 2026
Rare Beauty shook up the cosmetics industry with its viral liquid blush.
—Elizabeth Denton, Allure, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
Netflix co-founder and chairman Reed Hastings, who served as CEO for 25 years and dramatically shook up the entertainment business, is leaving the streaming giant’s board of directors.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Investors have grown more bullish on China’s AI sector even since DeepSeek shook up the AI narrative last year.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
Zuckerberg shook up his company's strategy after the April release of Llama 4, which failed to captivate developers.
—Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026
Slotkin shies away from answer on 2028 Visiting Iowa used to hold more obvious significance for Democrats before the party shook up the early presidential nominating calendar last cycle, bumping Iowa from its place as the first state to weigh in on the nominations.
—Hannah Fingerhut, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Shelton shook up the lineup before Monday’s game and the Twins (4-6) got some immediate results.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 7 Apr. 2026
Spielberg’s vision shook up the pantheon of prehistory, elevating the once-obscure predator Velociraptor to box-office stardom and winning it a place on an NBA expansion team’s jerseys.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
The rising style star shook up her glam in the ‘90s, ditching the colorful shade for more neutral tones.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 4 Apr. 2026
Rare Beauty shook up the cosmetics industry with its viral liquid blush.
—Elizabeth Denton, Allure, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shook-up
Adjective
-
Esther said that Kim was upset about McCormick's bizarre behavior.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The demonstrations have been primarily instigated by farmers, agricultural contractors and road haulage operators, who are upset with the government’s response to the spike in fuel prices since the onset of the Iran war.—
Michael Considine,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The final meeting between the Celtics and Magic came on Sunday when Boston's bench players shocked Orlando's starters in a 113-108 win.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Former Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, who was dragged into the mob and suffered a heart attack after a rioter shocked him with a stun gun, was disappointed but not surprised by the latest milestone in the dismantling of Capitol riot prosecutions.—
Michael Kunzelman,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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On Saturday, the troubled pop star uploaded a video dancing in a sheer black bodysuit while covering her breasts with her hands.—
Kathleen Perricone,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
-
With Iceland’s titular black sands serving as the backdrop, the first season of the show followed Anita, a troubled police officer played by Aldis Amah Hamilton (The Valhalla Murders) who also co-writes the series.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hiram Crombie is shocked and appalled that Jamie is taking the Trading Post from him and kicking him and the other men off Fraser’s Ridge?—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The proposal appalled the science community and lawmakers.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Seemingly, the aggrieved fans have no recourse.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Amid all their attacks and counter-attacks, what motivates each aggrieved party comes to light, painting a rich, empathetic portrait of lives lived under immense pressure — and the illogical outlets that sometimes become our only means of relief.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The deaths stunned political leaders throughout the state.—
Michael Biesecker,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Some told us they were stunned to learn of the killing.—
April 16,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The singer added that when SpaceX's Starship rocket exploded in April 2023, the toddler was distraught.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
11 Apr. 2026
-
One day after the Dodgers won the 1978 NLCS, Gilliam died, leaving Lopes distraught.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Of course, no guest wants to dine at the home of a host whose off-putting etiquette makes everyone feel ill at ease either.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Both were a byword, too, for male beauty, fully alive to the almost laughable impact of their handsomeness, yet ill at ease, now and then, with their perches on the pedestal.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shook-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shook-up. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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