godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
Physical shaking of an object or person, often with a back-and-forth or up-and-down motion. Can be used for shaking a tree, a bottle, or a person's shoulders.
彼は木を揺さぶって実を落とした。
He shook the tree and knocked the fruit down.
目
I gently shook her shoulder to wake her up.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
Figurative use: to cause a major disturbance or shock to a system, organization, or person's emotions. Common with words like 政界 (political world), 社会 (society), or 心 (heart).
そのスキャンダルは政界を大きく揺さぶった。
The scandal greatly shook the political world.
彼の言葉は私の心を揺さぶった。
His words shook my heart.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
keep a batter off balance
Baseball term: to disrupt a batter's timing by varying pitch types, speed, or location.
投手は緩急を使って打者を揺さぶった。
The pitcher kept the batter off balance by mixing fast and slow pitches.