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
Most of these councilmember endorsements were publicly unveiled during the primary election, some of which were shared just days after a key filing deadline for the mayoral race in February — a day shook up by Raman’s last-minute joining. — Paris Barraza, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026 The opening of the new Mystic Lake Amphitheater in Shakopee this summer shook up the local concert scene, with some 40 shows booked there that otherwise would have hit a local arena or the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand. — Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 6 Sep. 2026 Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who shook up her top team on Monday by appointing new economy and foreign affairs spokespeople, finally gets a chance to grill Burnham on Tuesday when Parliament returns from its summer break. — ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026 By the Monitor's Editorial Board Yoav Segalovitz, a Zionist politician from a centrist Jewish party, shook up Israeli politics on Monday. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026 The Miami Marlins shook up their bullpen a bit on Sunday, designated for assignment veteran lefty reliever John King and recalling rookie Jack Ralston ahead of their series finale against the Washington Nationals. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 23 Aug. 2026 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
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
  • The dispute could present a problem for Raman, who rode DSA support to an upset City Council victory in 2020 but has since frustrated some DSA members with her positions on policing, housing development, and Israel.
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 19 Oct. 2026
  • With the upset win over the Ravens, Cleveland moves to 4-2 and into a tie with Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of upset
Verb
  • His daughter, Leslie Gonzalez, wrote that her father was shocked with a Taser twice and pinned to the ground before being taken to the hospital for serious injuries.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The news of the cancer diagnosis on Tuesday shocked people inside the Vatican and across the Catholic world, given the pope was known for being in good physical shape.
    — Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of shocked
Adjective
  • Super Micro Computer, the troubled hardware ally of Nvidia and Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has finally hired a new head of finance.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Actor Ryan Eggold made an appearance reprising his role as Matt Riley, the troubled brother of Detective Vincent Riley, showing up in court and wanting justice for his brother’s death.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of troubled
Verb
  • Once inside the industry, Roper was appalled by how airlines set prices.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Even if the company still had footage of what had happened, she was appalled by the idea of anyone watching it.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of appalled
Adjective
  • The actor worked with Shawn Ryan and Eileen Myers to adapt the true story of a radio news broadcaster and an aggrieved kidnapper with modern-day parallels to figures like Luigi Mangione.
    — Dave Itzkoff, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Schiltz added that any aggrieved teacher can file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
    — Riley Moser, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of aggrieved
Verb
  • An Oklahoma copper theft suspect stunned a deputy with a headfirst dive through a closed window, but overlooked one detail that helped deputies track him down.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • But these three diffuse galaxies, known as DF2, DF4, and DF9, have left astronomers stunned.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of stunned
Adjective
  • In a move that had the audience distraught but should’ve been expected at some point, Guillermo and Witney are sent home Tuesday night.
    — Katie Campione, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • There were plenty of disappointed and angry members of Gator Nation on Saturday after Florida's surprising loss to South Carolina in Gainesville, but none may have been more distraught than a young member of Jon Sumrall's own household.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2026.

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