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
Spin Staff, SPIN, 1 June 2026
Nike shook up its Air Max franchise in March with the introduction of the Air Liquid Max, a new model that pushes both aesthetic and technology boundaries through its unique construction.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 20 May 2026
McCaughey’s entrance shook up the race in January in what some had expected to be a two-candidate battle between Stewart and Fazio.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2026
While Santa Margarita’s boys and girls dominated the team competitions to extend their title streaks, a few Orange County racers shook up the meet.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 10 May 2026
Bednar also shook up his lines, moving Landeskog onto the top line with MacKinnon and Martin Nečas.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 10 May 2026
Posey shook up the roster this week by calling up catching prospect Jesús Rodríguez and top prospect Bryce Eldridge, and the 24-year-old Rodríguez got starts over Bailey on Monday, Tuesday and Friday.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 9 May 2026
Spirit Airlines, the pioneering discount airline that shook up the budget travel business, is shutting down its operations.
—Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
Reports that Saudi Arabia‘s Public Investment Fund (PIF) will stop financing the LIV Golf Tour shook up the world of sport earlier this week, and these reports were effectively confirmed yesterday afternoon.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 1 May 2026
Verb
The collaborative troupe—made up of parts of Nine Inch Nails (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross) and German-Iraqi producer Boys Noize—effectively shook up the desert with their sonic blitzkrieg that reinterpreted NIN’s songbook into a hyper-electronic fever dream.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 1 June 2026
Nike shook up its Air Max franchise in March with the introduction of the Air Liquid Max, a new model that pushes both aesthetic and technology boundaries through its unique construction.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 20 May 2026
McCaughey’s entrance shook up the race in January in what some had expected to be a two-candidate battle between Stewart and Fazio.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2026
While Santa Margarita’s boys and girls dominated the team competitions to extend their title streaks, a few Orange County racers shook up the meet.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 10 May 2026
Bednar also shook up his lines, moving Landeskog onto the top line with MacKinnon and Martin Nečas.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 10 May 2026
Posey shook up the roster this week by calling up catching prospect Jesús Rodríguez and top prospect Bryce Eldridge, and the 24-year-old Rodríguez got starts over Bailey on Monday, Tuesday and Friday.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 9 May 2026
Spirit Airlines, the pioneering discount airline that shook up the budget travel business, is shutting down its operations.
—Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
Reports that Saudi Arabia‘s Public Investment Fund (PIF) will stop financing the LIV Golf Tour shook up the world of sport earlier this week, and these reports were effectively confirmed yesterday afternoon.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shook-up
Adjective
-
Scotland may have lost 0-1 to Morocco in a World Cup match at Boston Stadium on Friday, but the thing the Tartan Army was most upset about?—
Penny Kmitt,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
-
Katie Wilson won an upset victory to lead Seattle last fall.—
Matt Brown,
Fortune,
20 June 2026
Verb
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More than three decades after the abduction and killing of a Granite Bay mother shocked Placer County, the man accused of the crime has pleaded guilty and agreed to spend the rest of his life in prison.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
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Needless to say, my wife, daughters and myself were shocked and devastated.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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For Kelly, the Mexican release is also another chapter in the unlikely afterlife of a film that has continued to attract new audiences long after its troubled theatrical debut.—
José Salazar,
IndieWire,
22 June 2026
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De la Espriella promised El Salvador-style mega-prisons, while Cepeda promised to salvage Petro’s troubled ‘total peace’ talks with rebel groups.—
Regina Garcia Cano,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
Verb
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Seated beside Rosado on Wednesday, Lopez appeared appalled at what had transpired in recent weeks.—
Tess Riski
June 18,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
-
Democratic lawmakers were predictably appalled by Pulte’s selection.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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When early goals by both teams were denied by offside calls, the aggrieved fans jeered and whistled — the equivalent of Chiefs fans booing pass interference against their guy.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
17 June 2026
-
When the ball went in the hole, the boos continued, and Clark jokingly touched the brim of his cap and saluted the aggrieved Canadian crowd.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
Verb
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The Sailors placed second in the ultra-competitive Sunset League and advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinals, in which they were stunned in the last inning by eventual champion Ganesha, 2-1.—
Richard Dunn,
Oc Register,
18 June 2026
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For instance, on Battle of Champions, which concluded in April, all the coaches were stunned — in a good way!—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Her son was too distraught to speak on Sunday.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
22 June 2026
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Caitlin Clark appeared emotionally distraught during a postgame news conference after the Indiana Fever's 113-96 loss to the Atlanta Dream and archrival Angel Reese.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
Adjective
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The squad were simultaneously in awe, and ill at ease.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Stephenson and Howlin looked equally ill at ease.—
Robin Muir,
Vogue,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shook-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shook-up. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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