shake down 1 of 2

verb

Definition of shake downnext
as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats the rumor is that he started his career shaking people down as an enforcer for the mob

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

shakedown

2 of 2

noun

1
as in bunk

Related Words
2
as in test

Related Words
3
as in reconnaissance

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shake down
Verb
Will the agency adopt the model of personal injury attorneys and serial plaintiffs who have abused the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Unruh Civil Rights Act to shake down unsuspecting business owners for purely technical violations of the law? — Adam Summers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026 The city hired a second firm to represent Watts, as the city was legally responsible for covering legal judgments against him despite his federal prison sentence for shaking down a drug courier. — Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Noun
Feng expects the razor-thin margins to lead to a market shakedown, consolidating China's fragmented EV market into seven or eight major players by 2030. — Matthew Tan,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 20 July 2026 Following her successful sea trials in the North Sea, Pa’lante is currently departing the Netherlands for her shakedown cruise. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for shake down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake down
  1. cheat
  2. bunk
  3. test
  4. reconnaissance
  5. squeeze
  6. hammock
  7. rehearsal
  8. search
Verb
  • Written and rendered by dudes who longed for unlimited success, these are songs about cheating and being cheated on and trying but failing to be content, or love as lived amid capitalist indulgence.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Cheaters gonna cheat The first step was creating a message board that allowed the agents to pass notes to each other.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheat
Noun
  • The Los Angeles Police Department released a video that shows officers at the Valley jail manhandle an uncooperative inmate who died after he was left handcuffed with a bag over his head while laying prone on the bunk in his cell.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Perhaps the bunk room, which features two sets of queen bunk beds perfect for friend groups, families, and those young at heart.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of bunk
Noun
  • Woods was subsequently charged with driving under the influence with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful urinalysis test.
    — Bob Harkins, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The quest for a perfect or near-perfect score has filled many test takers with dread.
    — Rund Abdelfatah, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of test
Noun
  • In April, the British defense ministry announced a support package including at least 120,000 drones to be delivered to Ukraine this year, including long-range strike, reconnaissance and logistics drones.
    — Aidan Stretch, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • In the hour leading up to the Dutch GP, rain soaked the circuit, including during the reconnaissance laps, when the cars navigated from the garage to the grid pre-race.
    — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of reconnaissance
Verb
  • These portable, lightweight bands squeeze easily into a suitcase and can be used to add resistance to body weight exercises.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Job seekers in South Florida are navigating a tricky mix of stubborn inflation, high interest rates and an AI shift that’s squeezing entry-level hiring.
    — Jessica Lipscomb, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeeze
Noun
  • The library also has an expansive TryIts collection, a lending library where the public can check out and take home items like kites, board games, guitars, and outdoor gear including snowshoes, binoculars, and hammocks.
    — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The list also includes pine rocklands, home to species found only in Miami-Dade, hardwood hammocks and land near the Oleta River, one of the few remaining patches of wilderness in urban Miami.
    — Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of hammock
Noun
  • North Korea has long condemned such joint exercises as rehearsals for invasion.
    — Reuters, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Washington and Seoul say their drills are defensive in nature, but North Korea calls them an invasion rehearsal and often reacts with weapons tests.
    — Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of rehearsal
Noun
  • Industry sources said Pemsel’s exit has been planned for some time, and that the BFC has already been running a quiet, monthslong search for his successor.
    — Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • After he was found alive Wednesday, the sheriff’s office thanked the volunteers, personnel and members of the public who helped with the search.
    — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of search

Browse Nearby Words

shake a leg
shake down
shakedown
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shake down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake%20down. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All