Thesaurus results for SHAKEN DOWN

shaken down

verb

past participle of shake down

as in cheated

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

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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 shaken down Law firms are shaken down into submission. — Christopher Bouzy, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaken down

Verb

The rest of us just got the surface, but who could feel cheated?

— Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
Child safety advocates and some parents have welcomed age restrictions, while privacy groups say the rules can be cheated and that forcing users to supply identification raises privacy concerns.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of cheated

Verb

America’s aging farmers have been holding on to machinery for longer than usual as low crop prices and rising costs squeezed their finances.

— Bloomberg, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Officials said the bears appeared to have squeezed through a 1-foot-wide opening in the concrete structure (likely seeking water during hot, humid weather) and then couldn’t get back out.

— Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of squeezed

Verb

But for guests seeking deeper immersion in nature, the wildflower garden with more than 200 plant species looks like it was plucked straight from a fairy tale.

— Brian Cicioni, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2026
The Muir swivel chair in oxblood velvet feels plucked out of a Hollywood Regency–style boutique hotel lobby.

— Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of plucked

Verb

Analysts point out that if tech companies fail to beat market expectations, their stock prices could face swift downward pressure.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
The four relievers who followed Junk logged 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball as Miami beat Washington to secure the sweep.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of beaten

Verb

The Club taught Gen X and millennial kids how to feel ripped off — the ultimate punk lesson.

— Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026
In Adams County, the tornado had ripped off a sizeable portion of a barn's roof and carried it southeast for 200 yards, into a crop field.

— Jane Park, Cincinnati Enquirer, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of ripped off

Browse Nearby Words

shaken a leg

shaken down

shaken (off)

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“Shaken down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaken%20down. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of shaken down

verb

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