as in to shock
to cause an unpleasant surprise for
the news that we had failed the auto inspection shook us up
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shake-up
Arietta Hallock, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 July 2025
With few election shake-ups last fall, lawmakers returned to a legislature with little change in the status quo.
—Melissa Brown, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Naomi Rougeau, Robb Report, 18 July 2025
The Heat’s hope is that more time together will help fix some of those issues after shaking up its roster midway through last season with the Jimmy Butler trade.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake-up
Verb
Savory shake-ups of common breakfast aisle items caught me pleasantly by surprise.
—Arietta Hallock, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 July 2025
With few election shake-ups last fall, lawmakers returned to a legislature with little change in the status quo.
—Melissa Brown, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Noun
When the Ralph Lauren alum first set up shop in New York City’s West Village in 2001, the shrunken gray flannel ensembles shook up the fashion world and have now become part of the brand’s design iconography.
—Naomi Rougeau, Robb Report, 18 July 2025
The Heat’s hope is that more time together will help fix some of those issues after shaking up its roster midway through last season with the Jimmy Butler trade.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake-up
Verb
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Under the masterful conditioning care of Brendan Walsh, this powerful striding colt came within a neck of shocking the world at odds of 15-1 in the second leg of the Triple Crown series.—
Danny Brewer,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
-
Don’t be shocked to see Navy try him at QB in that triple option in Annapolis.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 July 2025
Noun
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For investors, developers, and tenants, the message is clear: The forthcoming shakeout from America’s return to office will create distinct winners and losers, with the South leading the way into recovery.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
10 July 2025
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So, whether Amazon’s AI jobs shakeout turns out to be a painful retrenching, a gradual recalibration, or something else entirely, recent history seems to suggest the company, if nothing else, has the right man for the job.—
Jason Del Rey,
Fortune,
17 June 2025
Noun
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The program faced shutdown Thursday as part of federal budget cuts that include an overhaul of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
19 July 2025
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The program was initiated in 2021 under Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, with an initial $100 million in funding as a way for the industry to emerge from theatrical shutdown in March 2020 due to the coronavirus.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
17 July 2025
Verb
-
Spielberg imagined it as a noise that has the power to appall.—
David Denby,
Vulture,
3 July 2025
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Still, there is plenty here that should appall both Democrats and Republicans.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Coordinating closing schedules in a traditional sale can be challenging.—
Archway Homes,
Kansas City Star,
20 July 2025
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In his closing arguments, the assistant district attorney suggested that Salley was the lone shooter.—
John J. Lennon,
Rolling Stone,
19 July 2025
Verb
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While she was alarmed by shiny black leggings, slingback boots, and a jean jacket, I was equally stunned by her Pentecostal version of nurses’ scrubs; a powder blue, boxy dress with a matching jacket and headwrap.—
Essence,
Essence,
24 July 2025
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In January 2019, the Empire star claimed to have been a victim of a hate crime that stunned Hollywood but later was accused of staging the attack.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
22 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shake-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake-up. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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