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shake up

B1 neutral separable transitive
In simple words

To make big changes to something, or to upset someone so much that they feel rattled.

Literal meaning: To shake something vigorously — like shaking a snow globe so everything inside is disturbed and moves around.

Meanings

1 B1 idiomatic neutral

To make significant changes to an organisation, system, or established way of doing things.

"The new CEO wasted no time in shaking up the management team."

Grammar: separable
2 B1 idiomatic neutral

To disturb, upset, or shock someone emotionally.

"The news of the accident really shook him up — he couldn't concentrate for the rest of the day."

Grammar: separable
3 A2 neutral

To mix something by shaking the container vigorously.

"Shake up the bottle well before opening — the juice settles at the bottom."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Very widely used in news reporting about corporate restructuring, politics, and sport. The noun 'shake-up' is extremely common in headlines. Also used for the physical act of shaking a liquid container and for the emotional sense of disturbing someone.

Commonly used with

management system industry routine complacency organisation

Forms

Base
shake up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
shakes up
he/she/it
Past simple
shook up
yesterday
Past participle
shaken up
have + pp
-ing form
shaking up
continuous

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