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
Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2026
Chicago shook up its strategy, pushing him to the sideline with Holmgren’s defender as his own man scrambled in for a double team.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Fiddelke shook up Target’s leadership team effective Sunday, bringing back the role of chief merchant and announcing a high-profile departure.
—Melissa Repko, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2026
Agents Get Their Shut-Eye Before COVID shook up the indie film business, all-night bidding wars were a staple of Sundance.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
The shooting also shook up the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, which underwent a flurry of personnel and policy changes.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
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
Verb
Raman, a former Bass ally, shook up the race with her surprise entry, hours before the filing deadline.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2026
Chicago shook up its strategy, pushing him to the sideline with Holmgren’s defender as his own man scrambled in for a double team.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Fiddelke shook up Target’s leadership team effective Sunday, bringing back the role of chief merchant and announcing a high-profile departure.
—Melissa Repko, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2026
Agents Get Their Shut-Eye Before COVID shook up the indie film business, all-night bidding wars were a staple of Sundance.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
The shooting also shook up the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, which underwent a flurry of personnel and policy changes.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shook-up
Adjective
-
Virginia made one last push, cutting TCU’s lead to 65-55, but the Horned Frogs quickly delivered the knockout blow as Miles knocked down a 3 and Suarez hit sophomore center Clara Silva for a layup to end Virginia’s hopes of another upset.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
-
In the video of the altercation, which was broken into clips and cross-posted across social media platforms, Peters and the woman are hanging out when Lentz arrives, upset.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The moon’s clash with Jupiter is a confidence booster, but don’t be shocked by a mid-day mood swing.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
While some celebrants have greeted these caricatures with cathartic jeers and sneers, others are shocked and outraged.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In the past decade, his more scattershot discography has similarly seemed to reflect his troubled state of mind.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Azabal plays Layal, a tightly wound Arabic professor whose troubled teenage son Daniel (Zolghadri) is expelled from high school, prompting her to escort him from Indiana to California to live with his estranged father.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Back in Brooklyn after college at Emerson, she was appalled by the march toward war that followed 9/11.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Minerliz’ family was relieved — and appalled.—
Julian Roberts-Grmela,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
OutKick’s Davey Hudson took to the streets of Nashville and New York City to talk to aggrieved football fans.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Liverpool had their own reasons to feel aggrieved when Ibrahima Konate had a goal denied after the ball was deemed to have dribbled in.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The teen was stunned that the brazen daylight shooting occurred near families.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The Chaparrals regional final followed along those lines, but a goal by Christian Quintana of El Paso Burges with just 14 seconds left in the second overtime period stunned Wyatt in a 1-0 loss in the Class 5A Division 2 Region 1 Final on Tuesday at Astound Stadium in Midland.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The perpetrators often looked down at the floor or straight ahead as approximately 30 victim impact statements were read – most from young female victims, but also from distraught parents and Janine Swinehart, the prosecuting attorney.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The victim’s grieving brother was too distraught to talk to reporters.—
Julian Roberts-Grmela,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 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 4 Apr. 2026.
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