shook-up 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of shook-upnext
as in upset

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shook up

2 of 2

verb

past tense of shake up
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
Verb
After the Warriors had been upset in the first round of the 1992 playoffs by Seattle despite a 55-27 record, the coach shook up the roster in an effort to take the next step toward a title. — Carl Steward, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026 At the midway point, this year has already produced the most billion-dollar blockbusters since the pandemic shook up the movie theater industry. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026 Revealed in January and going on sale in June, the iPhone shook up an industry that was coming to terms with online app stores and touchscreens just as Apple steamrollered in with its own vision. — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 Back in June, a blockbuster trade shook up the NBA landscape when superstar power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo was sent from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Miami Heat in exchange for four players, including shooting guard Tyler Herro. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 14 July 2026 The visitor’s fresh perspective shook up the studio owner’s old habits. — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 6 July 2026 Anthropic’s Claude comes for the scientists First AI titan Anthropic shook up the computer programming industry with Claude Code. — Sarah Todd, STAT, 1 July 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shook-up
  1. upset
  2. shocked
  3. troubled
  4. appalled
  5. aggrieved
  6. stunned
  7. distraught
  8. ill at ease
Adjective
  • Once the veteran players and most of the top seeds vanished from the Canadian Open, succumbing to injury and upset, the stakes of the tournament in Montreal took on a new edge.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Council member Chris Whatley said the entire council has been upset about the news of a data center, and vowed to do everything in his official capacity to protect Keller residents.
    — Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of upset
Verb
  • While the devices are marketed as nonlethal and safe for the heart, a pending lawsuit alleges a 43-year-old man died in 2024 after he was shocked 27 times with the gloves and 13 more times by a Taser at a jail in Richmond, Kentucky.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • In fact, so political has Tafoya gotten in her hometown of Edina, an upscale Twin Cities suburb, that many people were shocked the 61-year-old didn’t take a run at public office earlier.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of shocked
Adjective
  • Both scandals spurred reforms by state lawmakers that nevertheless failed to streamline a complex disciplinary process and left gaps for troubled businesses to continue operating.
    — Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Jesus showed that physical problems, troubled relationships, financial needs, and even personal wilderness experiences can be resolved by holding thought to Mind’s all-powerful, entirely good reality.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of troubled
Verb
  • But those enrolled in drug trials were left appalled by the news.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Perverse incentives For their part, wildfire experts say that they are appalled by the mere existence of prediction markets that allow for trading on these disasters.
    — Cyrus Farivar, ArsTechnica, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of appalled
Adjective
  • Schiltz added that any aggrieved teacher can file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
    — Riley Moser, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • In a later conversation in that same episode, the women’s roles are switched — Rhaenyra is no longer the impatient interrogator but an aggrieved ruler who has no idea how to govern; Alicent is the soothing confidant offering wisdom to welcome ears.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of aggrieved
Verb
  • At one point during the summit, Reagan and Gorbachev were close to agreeing on a deal that would remove every single nuclear missile from the planet, a moment in the transcript that Gunn was particularly stunned by.
    — Barry Levitt, Time, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Smart stunned in the creation, pairing it with black-and-gold drop earrings fitted with diamonds and one statement ring.
    — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of stunned
Adjective
  • But today’s Court often divides along stark ideological lines, and the liberals often sound truly distraught in their dissents.
    — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • One distraught woman sat on the ground next to a large pool of blood as another woman embraced her.
    — John Annese, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of distraught
Adjective
  • Dr Hoggett’s office was in a hospital across town, a building with long corridors, low ceilings, handwashing stations and works of art that were at once innocuous and ill at ease.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The squad were simultaneously in awe, and ill at ease.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 17 June 2026
Definition of ill at ease

Browse Nearby Words

shook out
shook-up
shook up
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Cite this Entry

“Shook-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shook-up. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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