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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in upset
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Recent Examples of shook-up
Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 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
Orlando shook up its roster in the offseason, including a blockbuster trade for former Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane, signing former Phoenix Suns point guard Tyus Jones, drafting guard Jase Richardson and forward Noah Penda, and extending Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner on sizable contracts.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
The move shook up the landscape of the league and made the Packers a much more serious contender.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 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
Orlando shook up its roster in the offseason, including a blockbuster trade for former Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane, signing former Phoenix Suns point guard Tyus Jones, drafting guard Jase Richardson and forward Noah Penda, and extending Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner on sizable contracts.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shook-up
Verb
-
The brutal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on a college campus shocked the nation and is forcing it to confront what appears to be an increase in political violence across the country.—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
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The Charlie Kirk shooting shocked the nation and has been the main story over the past view days, as political tensions rise.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Danni-Elle Townsend, who’s made a solid impression in PPA internationals this year, was upset in the first round by 43-yr old qualifier and eventual Bronze medalist from Japan Rika Fujiwara, a former WTA tennis pro who toured for more than 20 years before retiring from Tennis in 2020.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Mourners, many of whom were visibly upset and wearing Walmart uniforms, placed electric candles at the memorial.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Leo’s appalled; Geno looks forward to eating.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
7 Sep. 2025
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Trump’s victories against the bureaucracy have appalled many Democrats, though none have much of a theory on how to put Humpty Dumpty back together.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Looking for role models, troubled young men find Andrew Tate.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Laporta has repeatedly said that returning to the Camp Nou, which will have a capacity of 105,000 when finished, as soon as possible is crucial to boosting their troubled finances.—
Pol Ballus,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Jerry Neuheisel, assistant head coach and tight ends coach, running his hands through his blond hair, stunned.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Seoul, South Korea — More than 300 South Korean workers detained by immigration authorities in Georgia last week arrived home on Friday, marking the end of a saga that has stunned their nation and threatened to upend a close bilateral friendship between the US and South Korea.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Jones is a revelation as the aggrieved niece who’s forced to care for her uncle’s kids.—
Grace Byron,
Vulture,
8 Sep. 2025
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The always watchable Zem (Other People’s Children) is strong as an obsessive intellectual whose theories drive him to push others to the brink, while Valeria Golino (a requisite for any Italian festival film these days) shows up as the aggrieved mother of a victim.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Family distrusts police investigation after shooting Taddese’s family has been distraught since his death, according to Bernard.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
12 Sep. 2025
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As police secured the area with crime scene tape, distraught family members began arriving at the scene late Sunday night, according to police dispatch audio.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Maurice, who had a troubled childhood marked by illness and emotional neglect, was negative and socially ill at ease.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
13 Aug. 2025
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In her mind, the community in her fictional story should be one of privilege, a circumstance in which Ruth, who grew up in a working-class Yiddish family, could initially feel ill at ease.—
Esther Zuckerman,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shook-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shook-up. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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