shake-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈshāk-ˌəp 

: an act or instance of shaking up

specifically : an extensive and often drastic reorganization

shake up

2 of 2

verb

shook up; shaken up; shaking up; shakes up

transitive verb

1

obsolete : chide, scold

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

Synonyms

Verb

• appall
• appal
• floor
• jolt
• shock

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

Noun

Chanel has seen a far-reaching management shake-up since the arrival of Leena Nair as global CEO in 2021, charged with implementing a long-term succession plan. —Joelle Diderich, WWD, 16 Jan. 2025

The staffing shake-up comes nearly a year after Shaw and Madhavan filed a peace order against Perkins’ then-CEO, Scott Moran, alleging that Moran was harassing health department employees over the internet. —Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 15 Jan. 2025

Verb

Millennial Woman Shares 6 Trends Gen Z Are Going To Regret By Soo Kim Life and Trends Reporter 0 Generation Z—those born between 1997 and 2012—are shaking up the travel landscape this year, favoring unconventional destinations over traditional tourist hotspots. —Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 26 Jan. 2025

Held at Manchester Central on Saturday April 12, 2025, Red Bull Featured promises to shake up the world of BMX. —Jenn Nelson, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1847, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

shake-up

1 of 2 noun

ˈshā-ˌkəp

: an act or instance of shaking up

especially : a reorganization that has extreme effects

lost their jobs in an office shake-up

shake up

2 of 2 verb

(ˈ)shā-ˈkəp

1

: to jar by or as if by a physical shock

the accident shook up both drivers

the news shook us up

2

: to bring about an extensive reorganization of