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🔄 To reorganize 😲 To disturb deeply 🛏️ To make fluffier
to shake up

to shake up

10 3.5
To move something quickly so it becomes fluffier or looser
  • phrasal verb
  • /ʃeɪk ʌp/
translation icon : agitar
  • Before serving, don't forget to shake up the salad dressing to combine all the flavors.
  • shake up your routine
  • shake it up a bit
  • shake it up a little

Just dump some red food dye into the fake tan and shake it up and I'm good to go.

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Examples

  • So what you want to do is actually shake the bottle up, give it a good, good shake.

  • So I'm going to shake it up and spray it.

  • Get them all down on the bottom there, shake it up really good.

  • One thing she got right was shaking up the paint can.

  • About midway through your training, add water, shake it up, and start drinking.

    Blog text (26)

  • So I'm just going to shake it up a little bit and then I'm just going to spray it on my roots pretty much.

  • Shake up the 8-ball, eat some cake, and hug the birthday boy.

    Blog text (7)

  • Just dump some red food dye into the fake tan and shake it up and I'm good to go.

    Wayne Goss

  • All righty, shake this up and let's go spray our kale.

  • I do veganese white vinegar, dill, like fresh dill, pepper and a little bit of salt and you shake it all up in a thing and it's really delicious.

Synonyms

to fluff
vsto shake up
17 4.1

To make hair or fabric look fuller by brushing

uses forceful movement to increase fullness rather than careful arranging
to agitate
vsto shake up
9 4.1

To move or shake something to mix it

applies the same motion but specifically to produce fullness in soft items
to plump
vsto shake up
5 3.8

To make someone or something fuller and rounder

focuses on fullness produced by movement alone rather than added material
to fluff the pillow
vsto shake up
3 2.8

To make a pillow fuller and softer by shaking and patting it

describes the same result but emphasises creating it by strong movement
to fluff up
vsto shake up
2 3.3

To make something fuller and softer by shaking or separating it

focuses on creating fullness and loft specifically by vigorous movement
to plump up
vsto shake up
1 4.5

To make a pillow or cushion fuller by fluffing it

is centred on achieving fullness mainly through shaking rather than adding
to pluff
vsto shake up
9.9

To make a pillow or cushion soft and fluffy by patting it

relies more on vigorous motion to produce loft rather than gentle touch
to succuss
vsto shake up
  • Archaic
9.9

To shake something hard to mix its contents

specifically aims to make items fuller and looser by such shaking action

Antonyms

to compress
94 3.7

To press something so it takes less space

to flatten
23 2.6

Make something flat and smooth by pressing it

How Fluffy

to puff up
2 4.4
to fluff
17 4.1
to shake up
10 3.5
to jiggle
46 3.2

Surface Forms

shake up infinitive
shaking up present participle
shakes up third person singular
shook up past
shaken up past participle

Morphology

shake + up

The meaning 'to change or reorganize' is metaphorically connected to the literal sense of 'shake' (to jolt or disturb) combined with the particle 'up' (indicating alteration or intensification), so a learner who knows both words could plausibly infer a sense of disturbing and rearranging. However, the specific managerial/organizational sense is an extended, somewhat conventionalized metaphor and not fully predictable from the parts without prior exposure.

Etymology

Shake up has a simple literal image: you shake something up so the inside moves and the cushion or blanket becomes fluffy. That's why it means 'make something fuller or fluffier'.