as in upset
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in shocked
to cause an unpleasant surprise for
the news that we had failed the auto inspection shook us up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 shook-up
Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
The scandal shook up elections statewide, with Republican groups spending millions on a flurry of ads attacking Jones, NBC News reported.
—Kevin Breuninger,dan Mangan, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
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
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
Verb
Ohio State’s loss to Miami shook up the College Football Playoff and paved the way for a new favorite.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
The scandal shook up elections statewide, with Republican groups spending millions on a flurry of ads attacking Jones, NBC News reported.
—Kevin Breuninger,dan Mangan, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shook-up
Adjective
-
The Tigers, previously 0-9 all-time at Rupp Arena, took advantage of a struggling Kentucky Wildcats squad for a 73-68 upset win.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The automaker spent much of the year undoing decisions made by the previous CEO, Carlos Tavares, who resigned at the end of 2024, as stakeholders in the company — from dealers to union rank and file — were upset with him and unhappy with his leadership.—
Liam Rappleye,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
During a recent clean-out, I was shocked by the various levels of color saturation in my stack of black jeans.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
-
But the podcast also shocked me.—
Eli Thompson,
Rolling Stone,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The film follows a weary delivery driver with months to live who saves a brilliant but troubled teenage girl.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2026
-
But many parents of troubled adults face myriad obstacles in getting help for their children, said Pasquini, who is a former nine-year member of the Contra Costa County Mental Health Commission and who has long worked for changes in the state’s conservatorship laws.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Russia and China claim to be appalled, too, but to use a classic diplomatic expression, the leaders in Beijing and Moscow should be invited, with all due respect, to shut their traps.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
3 Jan. 2026
-
Aggie is appalled at Nile’s presumptuousness, his entitlement.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
6 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
For aggrieved wives of cheating husbands, a rising new professional service in China offers an innovative solution.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
However, her exit early into the show’s final season left fans stunned and wondering why.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
-
With Jones looking born again, the Colts have stunned the football world by getting out to a 7-2 record, which puts them in first place in the AFC South and is the second-best record in the conference behind only the Denver Broncos.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Johnson was distraught last week, after falling just short in his first start of the season, against Dallas.—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Nearly a week since the killings, family members of the beloved couple have set up a fundraiser for the distraught children.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 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 10 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share