shake·out
ˈshāk-ˌau̇t 
1
: the failure or retrenchment of a significant number of firms in the economy or a sector or an industry that usually results in a depressed market
2
: a period or process in which the relatively weak or unessential are eliminated
shook out; shaken out; shaking out; shakes out
: to prove to be in the end : turn out
wait to see how things shake out
Examples of shakeout in a Sentence
Verb
after hearing about all the elaborate planning, I can't wait to see how that wedding shakes out
Recent Examples on the Web
Steve Case, Time, 1 Apr. 2025
With so much uncertainty looming over the EV charging industry — plus the shakeout that typically occurs among nascent tech industries — there’s bound to be consolidation this year.
—Bob Woods, CNBC, 16 Mar. 2025
Gregory H. Shill, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2025
The major tariffs will not hit until tomorrow, assuming there isn’t some unexpected reversal in the next several hours, and no one knows for certain how any of this will shake out.
—Damon Beres, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shakeout
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Noun
In reality, the shakeout led to hundreds of companies falling by the wayside, but the strongest companies—Google and Amazon among them—really thrived.
—Steve Case, Time, 1 Apr. 2025
With so much uncertainty looming over the EV charging industry — plus the shakeout that typically occurs among nascent tech industries — there’s bound to be consolidation this year.
—Bob Woods, CNBC, 16 Mar. 2025
Verb
Regardless of how this all shakes out, the TikTok fight underscores deeper concerns about who controls social media in the United States.
—Gregory H. Shill, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2025
The major tariffs will not hit until tomorrow, assuming there isn’t some unexpected reversal in the next several hours, and no one knows for certain how any of this will shake out.
—Damon Beres, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shakeout
Cite this Entry
“Shakeout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shakeout. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.
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