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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shook-up
Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
As one of the original Try Guys members, Fulmer shook up the group and the fanbase when his affair was unearthed.
—Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
Paltrow shook up the look with her bottoms, trading traditional slacks for a pair of belted capris that fell just below the knee.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 23 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 Cleveland Browns shook up the NFL landscape with their headline-making trade of Joe Flacco to the 2-3 Cincinnati Bengals.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
As one of the original Try Guys members, Fulmer shook up the group and the fanbase when his affair was unearthed.
—Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
Paltrow shook up the look with her bottoms, trading traditional slacks for a pair of belted capris that fell just below the knee.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 23 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
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The Steelers were shocked by Joe Flacco’s Bengals last week.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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The original movie shocked audiences, and its low-budget aesthetic helped make the madness look even more grisly, macabre and real.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Even after the misunderstanding, Herrera didn't appear to be upset.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Oct. 2025
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Kim was upset, especially when the hamster unexpectedly died shortly after.—
Sydni Ellis,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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How shocked and appalled and offended everyone seems to be by this.—
Nick Suss,
Nashville Tennessean,
13 Oct. 2025
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After going public together on social media, the pair have elicited strong reactions from people in their comments — some appalled by their age gap and others who quickly jump to their defense.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Baleba, after a troubled start to his season following United’s interest during the transfer window, had a good game against Newcastle last time out, and his performance in front of his suitors could impact their intentions next summer.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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Nobody Wants This is featured on the cover of this week’s The Hollywood Reporter, which dives into the origins of the show and its troubled first season, which despite its issues became a global smash.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Thieves took less than eight minutes to steal jewels valued at 88 million euros ($102 million) — a high-profile heist that sparked a national reckoning and stunned the world.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
26 Oct. 2025
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The brazen daytime heist at the museum last Sunday stunned France, when four men, dressed as workmen, broke in through an upper floor window using a ladder on a moving truck.—
Eleanor Beardsley,
NPR,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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For aggrieved wives of cheating husbands, a rising new professional service in China offers an innovative solution.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
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He’s slated to shake hands at a meeting of The 46, a group of powerful, aggrieved men named for the order in which Oklahoma gained statehood.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In a recording of the call later released by police, Sigg and her son – both emotionally distraught – sound frustrated by the dispatcher’s questions, feeling they were not being taken seriously.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
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Cormier also discussed Aspinall appearing distraught over the crowd’s reaction.—
Antonio Losada,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Of course, no guest wants to dine at the home of a host whose off-putting etiquette makes everyone feel ill at ease either.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
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Both were a byword, too, for male beauty, fully alive to the almost laughable impact of their handsomeness, yet ill at ease, now and then, with their perches on the pedestal.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shook-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shook-up. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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