Jump To:

• shake-up
  shake-up

  noun

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

  verb

  to shake or agitate in order to mix

shake-up

American  

[sheyk-uhp] / ˈʃeɪkˌʌp /

noun

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

---

shake up British  

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. informal to disturb or shock mentally or physically

---

noun

1. informal a radical or drastic reorganization

shake up Idioms  

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

2. 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]

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

---

Etymology

Origin of shake-up

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

Explanation

A shake-up is a major change or upheaval. If there's a shake-up on your soccer team, you might suddenly find yourself playing midfield instead of your usual position defending the goal. Whenever there's reorganization at a company, especially if lots of people lose their jobs, it's described as a shake-up. You can use this word for any similarly drastic change, like a shake-up in your morning routine after your family gets a new puppy that needs to be walked for an hour, or a shake-up in government after a major election.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shake-up shake up

The first bizarre shake-up of the offseason came on July 1, when the Boston Celtics shocked the world by trading Jaylen Brown for an oft-injured replacement and a pair of draft picks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

Anglo American is in the midst of a major shake-up of its portfolio that began after it rebuffed a nearly $50 billion hostile takeover bid from bigger rival BHP in 2024.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

On paying for the wider shake-up of the system, he said he wanted to extract more from existing budgets "before we talk about tax rises".

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

Douthat is the first full-time correspondent named to the venerable CBS News magazine program since it underwent a massive shake-up last spring.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

As we learned from a confidential source, several days ago, there has been a big shake-up in the Government here.

From A Journal From Our Legation in Belgium by Hugh Gibson

Working on this story makes me want to further explore the ways they’ll shake up hiring and the workplace.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

The forces behind these projects, like DC Studios’ co-chairman and co-CEO James Gunn, might talk about how they hope to shake up the stale genre with bold decisions.

From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026

Just two years ago, Monarch Tractor was worth half a billion dollars and ready to shake up the wine industry.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026

What is Zuffa Boxing and can it shake up the sport?

From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026

He wasn’t ready to shake up the world.

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman

Related Words

• disturb
• reorganize
• shock