SHAKING Synonyms: 144 Similar and Opposite Words

shaking 1 of 3

adjective

as in trembling

marked by or given to small uncontrollable bodily movements suffered a shaking chill during his bout with the flu

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shaking

2 of 3

noun

as in twitching

a series of slight movements by a body back and forth or from side to side gave the bottle of salad dressing a good shaking

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as in escape

the act or a means of getting or keeping away from something undesirable condemned the government's shaking of its overseas responsibilities

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shaking

3 of 3

verb

present participle of shake

as in jerking

to make a series of small irregular or violent movements the bus rattled and shook as it barreled down a rutted road

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as in avoiding

to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery we shook our pursuers by cutting through the abandoned lot

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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 shaking

Noun

When the shaking stopped, the sample was removed and then readied for sequencing. — Jason Liebowitz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2026 The strongest shaking is concentrated around the epicenter northwest of Cali and extends toward the Pacific coast, while weaker shaking spreads toward Medellín, Bogotá and surrounding regions. — Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 10 Aug. 2026 Residents described an intense and prolonged shaking that triggered alarms and forced widespread evacuations. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 10 Aug. 2026 But Tuesday’s shaking, which toppled shelves and hurled computers to the floor, was worse in Yatsushiro than anything Matsushita experienced a decade ago. — USA Today, 30 July 2026 During the many scenes of roiling seas and inevitable shipwrecks, the shaking met the action appropriately. — Matt Minton, Variety, 22 July 2026 Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches. — Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 16 July 2026 When the shaking subsided, Perez could not reach her nephew, or his wife, by phone. — Joshua Partlow, The Atlantic, 30 June 2026 Engineers said that older housing erected in the 1950s and 1960s — before modern earthquake standards were adopted — may not have been retrofitted to survive such violent shaking. — ABC News, 27 June 2026

Verb

That afternoon, the president, inside the exposition’s ornate Temple of Music, greeted members of the public, shaking hands and warmly inviting them to explore the fair. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026 The handcuffs were taken off, and he was allowed to board, shaking with shock. — Shimon Prokupecz, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026 With the fall campaign season approaching, candidates for governor and other offices spent Thursday working the fairgrounds, shaking hands and making the rounds among fairgoers. — Esme Murphy, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 Mix one cup of hot water and one cup of vinegar in a spray bottle, shaking it to mix it together. — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 26 Aug. 2026 Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour until well coated on both sides, shaking off any excess. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026 The mom could be seen jumping out of her seat and covering her face with shaking hands as Marcil pulled her into a hug. — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Aug. 2026 Hood makes the sign of the cross with his shaking hands and removes his glasses to wipe away a tear. — Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026 At this point, Davis was seen shaking his head in the courtroom. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaking

Adjective

But if instead its excess savings finance unproductive investment at home or drive high household consumption, asset bubbles, or persistent fiscal deficits in the economies of its trading partners, the whole system becomes increasingly shaky.

— MICHAEL PETTIS, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
Cowing is clearly the team’s best option at punt returner, while Watkins has been shaky there during practice.

— Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of shaky

Noun

Betelgeuse and the Pleiades hung—one billowing, one trembling—out of sight somewhere past the window frame.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
When the trembling decreased, the 27-year-old mother took the stairs seven stories down with her young child in her arms and evacuated the building.

— Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of trembling

Noun

Na Praia won’t be open until summer 2027, but the proprietors of the beloved pastoral escape that is São Lourenço do Barrocal east of Comporta are promising an exquisite new offering of suites, houses, and villas nestled into the dunes themselves.

— Mattie Kahn, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026
In 1959, the Dalai Lama fled Tibet through the Himalayas; a smokejumper designed a special high-altitude parachute to drop three hundred thousand Indian rupees to his escape party.

— M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of escape

Verb

Suggest a timeline, assign a task, or ask the question everyone keeps politely avoiding.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 1 Sep. 2026
Officials annually emphasize boating safety, wearing life jackets and being aware of conditions, especially rip currents, and avoiding drinking alcoholic beverages when venturing out on the water.

— Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of avoiding

Adjective

Standing 10 yards in front of us on a corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue was a shivering elderly woman who looked lost.

— Richard Greenberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
What she’s produced is a searching, pointedly disorienting text, studded with passages of extreme beauty and generous humor, that wears whimsy like a shivering veil over consuming discomfort, even terror.

— Paul McAdory, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025

Definition of shivering

Noun

The score remained knotted until the eighth inning, when Dodgers left-hander Tanner Scott gave up a leadoff double to Matt Olson — the first extra-base hit of the game — and a two-out RBI single to Ozzie Albies to give the Braves the lead.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
The chance that a runner scores from third base with fewer than two outs is as high as 90%.

— Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 26 Aug. 2026