to shake up

Examples

• All

• The incident shook us up; nevertheless, we flew home, leaving the crew to take our boat back to Cartagena.

  Fiction book (1991)

• So I think this is the year that I was like, OK, this shook me up, and I think it's a good thing.

• We'll try not to shake you up too much on the way.

  The Purple Plain (1954)

• I just wanted to shake him up.

  Davy Crockett, Indian Scout (1950)

• So many things were happening around that time that basically shook up everything for me.

  Lex Fridman

• I can tell it shook him up.

  Step Up Revolution (2012)

• You look pretty shook up.

  Joey & Rex Save the Church (2022)

• Still, he was pretty shook up when I told him.

  Fiction book (2002)

• If Mitt comes here, it will really shake things up, and a last-minute push would serve him well.

  Blog text (4)

• Losing the game shook up the team's confidence significantly.

Synonyms

S

to shake

vsto shake up

410 5.3

To make someone lose confidence or feel upset

is wider, also meaning profound physical as well as emotional upset

T

to throw

vsto shake up

321 7.8

To make someone feel confused or unsure

can also mean a stronger, more profound emotional or physical disturbance

D

to disturb

vsto shake up

153 2.5

Make someone feel deeply worried or upset

is broader, also including strong physical disturbance or profound impact

S

to stir

vsto shake up

131 3.7

To make someone feel a strong emotion

is broader, possibly causing physical upset or deeper emotional harm

R

to rock

vsto shake up

107 4.4

To cause a sudden strong shock or upset to people

is broader, causing deep or lasting emotional or physical upset

S

to stir up

vsto shake up

48 4.8

To make people feel strong emotions like anger or fear

is neutral about intent and can be accidental or intentional

J

to jolt

vsto shake up

8 4.3

To surprise someone and make them react

can be less sudden and may produce longer lasting effects

C

to convulse

vsto shake up

8 7.8

Shake hard and without control because of illness, a strong feeling, or a hit

can be emotional or physical without implying violent movement

U

to unsettle

vsto shake up

7 4.9

To make someone feel worried or uneasy

covers that but also includes intense or physical upsetting effects

T

to throw off balance

vsto shake up

4 5.4

To make someone feel confused or unsure after a sudden change

is not limited to sudden events and can be more deeply affecting

S

to shock the hell out of someone

vsto shake up

• Informal

2 8.1

To surprise someone suddenly and very strongly

can be less about shock and more about deep emotional or physical change

P

to perturb

vsto shake up

1 7.7

To cause a sudden change that upsets the normal order of a system or situation

is more general and often less formal in tone

J

to jar

vsto shake up

1 5.3

To move or make something move with a sudden strong shake

can describe emotional or physical upset without a sharp jerky action

U

to unfix

vsto shake up

9.1

Make someone feel upset and unable to think clearly

is less clinical and can mean strong physical as well as mental upset

C

to commove

vsto shake up

• Archaic

9.9

To disturb people or things

is more likely to imply a deeper or more powerful effect

Antonyms

C

to calm

962 1.0

Make a person or animal less upset

S

to stabilize

• US

197 3.7

To make something steady so it stops moving or falling

How Disturbing

to traumatize

87 6.9

to shake up

41 4.2

to shock

202 2.1

to disturb

153 2.5

to startle

131 3.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology