: an act or instance of shaking up
specifically
: an extensive and often drastic reorganization
shook up; shaken up; shaking up; shakes up
2
: to jar by or as if by a physical shock
the collision shook up both drivers
3
: to effect an extensive and often drastic reorganization of
Examples of shake-up in a Sentence
Verb
the news that we had failed the auto inspection shook us up
Recent Examples on the Web
Bruce Gil, Quartz, 12 Nov. 2024
Trump also credited her for her work on his 2016 and 2020 White House bids, though his 2024 bid ran smoother and saw fewer shake-ups.
—Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 12 Nov. 2024
Domenica Bongiovanni, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Nov. 2024
Rumor and intrigue cards shake up gameplay with unexpected bonuses and penalties.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shake-up 
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Noun
Its dramatic decline comes amid broader concerns over the company’s financial stability, recent privacy breaches, and a leadership shake-up.
—Bruce Gil, Quartz, 12 Nov. 2024
Trump also credited her for her work on his 2016 and 2020 White House bids, though his 2024 bid ran smoother and saw fewer shake-ups.
—Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 12 Nov. 2024
Verb
In Tlingit culture, the story of how the world came to see light starts with a willful bird whose ability to shape-shift shakes up the status quo.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Nov. 2024
Rumor and intrigue cards shake up gameplay with unexpected bonuses and penalties.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shake-up
Dictionary Entries Near shake-up
Cite this Entry
“Shake-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shake-up. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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