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
-
Neighbors were shocked after the shooting, saying the area is normally a safe place for young people.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Even some prominent conservatives were shocked by Gorka’s return.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Inside the pack, a walkie-talkie squawked with the voices of staff who needed back-up on the playground, or a bathroom break, or help soothing a troubled student.—
Cory Turner,
NPR,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The series is told through the eyes of Rue Bennett, a troubled drug addict played by Zendaya.—
Katie Mannion,
PEOPLE,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
-
That result has stunned pancreatic cancer specialists.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
One last thing Remember the wolf that stunned everyone by visiting Los Angeles County?—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
An understandably distraught Irene walks to the park and tries to avoid June and Phil.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
-
King is especially distraught in the season finale after learning that she'll be deposed again in a lawsuit against the ER — a suit and deposition that has burdened the doctor all season.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
17 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 25 Apr. 2026.
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