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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in upset
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shook-up
Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
As one of the original Try Guys members, Fulmer shook up the group and the fanbase when his affair was unearthed.
—Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
Paltrow shook up the look with her bottoms, trading traditional slacks for a pair of belted capris that fell just below the knee.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 23 Sep. 2025
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
Conflicting messaging and ambiguous guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration shook up the usual launch of annual vaccines.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2025
Orlando shook up its roster in the offseason, including a blockbuster trade for former Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane, signing former Phoenix Suns point guard Tyus Jones, drafting guard Jase Richardson and forward Noah Penda, and extending Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner on sizable contracts.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
The Cleveland Browns shook up the NFL landscape with their headline-making trade of Joe Flacco to the 2-3 Cincinnati Bengals.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
As one of the original Try Guys members, Fulmer shook up the group and the fanbase when his affair was unearthed.
—Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
Paltrow shook up the look with her bottoms, trading traditional slacks for a pair of belted capris that fell just below the knee.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 23 Sep. 2025
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
Conflicting messaging and ambiguous guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration shook up the usual launch of annual vaccines.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2025
Orlando shook up its roster in the offseason, including a blockbuster trade for former Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane, signing former Phoenix Suns point guard Tyus Jones, drafting guard Jase Richardson and forward Noah Penda, and extending Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner on sizable contracts.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shook-up
Verb
-
However, many of those watching Ray’s video were shocked at how long his daughter’s day at school was.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Then, when the movie came to Netflix in 2021 and there was an online resurgence, she was once again shocked to learn about the series' impact.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Even after the misunderstanding, Herrera didn't appear to be upset.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Kim was upset, especially when the hamster unexpectedly died shortly after.—
Sydni Ellis,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
How shocked and appalled and offended everyone seems to be by this.—
Nick Suss,
Nashville Tennessean,
13 Oct. 2025
-
After going public together on social media, the pair have elicited strong reactions from people in their comments — some appalled by their age gap and others who quickly jump to their defense.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Lots of laughter, troubled gazes, leftovers.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The chancellor for the troubled University of Minnesota-Morris will step down from her role by the end of December.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The seemingly bait-and-switch response stunned the couple.—
Brian Anthony Hernandez,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Emily Ratajkowski stunned on the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show runway during her debut.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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He’s slated to shake hands at a meeting of The 46, a group of powerful, aggrieved men named for the order in which Oklahoma gained statehood.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Yudkowsky and Soares are certainly experts in their field, but this book often reads like a disgruntled missive from two aggrieved patriarchs tired of being ignored.—
Book Marks
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The post consisted of two dashcam images of a distraught 12-year-old who, desperate to heal her sick puppy, got behind the wheel for the first time and tried to drive to the vet.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
20 Oct. 2025
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The story starts to unfold more briskly once Nolan gets Tully to agree to exchange Elsbeth for the increasingly and very loudly distraught store staffer in costume as Raggedy Ann.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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 23 Oct. 2025.
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