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
-
Quenneville was the next huge piece of the puzzle, and the three-time Stanley Cup winner as a head coach has guided the Ducks to a first-round postseason upset.—
Greg Beacham,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
-
The Minnesota Timberwolves, or what is left of them, also advanced with an upset win against the Denver Nuggets.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The couple was shocked to find that their left-leaning friends were coming to the same conclusion.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Apr. 2026
-
In 2016, after winning the Formula 1 Driver’s Championship, Nico Rosberg shocked the racing world by abruptly retiring at 31.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Sportico.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But, in the end, the artists – who’d been out there alone, navigating the same troubled waters – understood the potential.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Four people were wounded early Sunday in a shooting at a troubled Queens nightclub with a history of violence and murder.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
26 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
-
If anything, Leeds were more dominant and more aggrieved in the first match than Bournemouth were in the second.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Seemingly, the aggrieved fans have no recourse.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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During the last song in particular, Zegler stunned crowds in London by performing on the balcony of the theater which was then projected inside the venue.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The video shows stunned drivers making a break for it after the firework went off, even though 77 was still partially burning.—
Joe Bruno,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
His widow, Erika Kirk, was at this weekend’s dinner, visibly distraught as she was escorted out in her sequined cream dress.—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
26 Apr. 2026
-
While rescuers searched in vain, distraught relatives of passengers rushed to the ValuJet counter at Miami International.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
21 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 3 May. 2026.
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