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View synonyms for

shake-up

[sheyk-uhp]

noun

  1. a thorough change in a business, department, or the like, as by dismissals, demotions, etc.



shake up

verb

  1. to shake or agitate in order to mix

  2. to reorganize drastically

  3. to stir or rouse

  4. to restore the shape of (a pillow, cushion, etc)

  5. informalto disturb or shock mentally or physically

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. informala radical or drastic reorganization

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of shake-up1

First recorded in 1900–05; noun use of verb phrase shake up
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Idioms and Phrases

Agitate in order to mix or loosen, as in This cough medicine needs to be thoroughly shaken up , or Please shake up these pillows .

Upset greatly, as in Even though no one was hurt, he was greatly shaken up by the accident . This usage alludes to being agitated like a liquid being shaken. Also see all shook up . [Late 1800s]

Subject to drastic rearrangement or reorganization, as in New management was bent on shaking up each division .

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“And there’s going to be a shake-up that lasts for quite a while.”

From

Unsurprisingly, Boeing's top executive team has undergone a pretty significant shake-up over the past couple of years.

From

Struggling budget chain Poundland has been sold for £1 and now faces a shake-up of the business.

From

Women would no longer be prosecuted for terminating a pregnancy in England and Wales under a proposed shake-up of abortion laws.

From

So is the government really ready to risk the most radical shake-up of the UK electricity market since privatisation 35 years ago?

From

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shake the dust from one's feetshake with laughter