shake-up

/ʃeik'ʌp/

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Word: Shake-up

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: A "shake-up" refers to a situation where things are organized differently, often involving big and significant changes. It usually means that there has been a major adjustment in how something operates, like a business, organization, or government.

Usage Instructions:

• You can use "shake-up" when talking about changes in management, structure, or operations in an organization. It's often used in a context where the changes are quite significant.

Examples:

1. "After the company faced financial issues, there was a shake-up in the management team."
2. "The school went through a shake-up, changing the curriculum and adding new classes."

Advanced Usage:

• In a more formal context, you might hear phrases like "organizational shake-up" or "leadership shake-up," which specify the area where the changes are occurring.

Word Variants:

• Shake (verb): To move something quickly back and forth or up and down.
• Shaken (adjective): A past participle form that describes something that has been disturbed or changed.

Different Meanings:

• Shake-up in informal language: It can also refer to any significant disturbance or disruption in a person's life or routine, not just in organizations.
• Shake-up in a physical sense: It can mean a literal shaking, like shaking a bottle before opening it.

Synonyms:

• Reorganization
• Overhaul
• Restructuring
• Reform
• Revamp

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• Shake things up: This idiom means to change things in a significant way to make them more interesting or effective.

  • Example: "We need to shake things up in our marketing strategy to attract more customers."

• Shake off: This phrasal verb means to get rid of something, like a feeling or a problem.

Academic

Noun

1. the imposition of a new organization; organizing differently (often involving extensive and drastic changes)
   • a committee was appointed to oversee the reorganization of the curriculum
   • top officials were forced out in the cabinet shakeup

Synonyms

• reorganization
• reorganisation
• shakeup