shake 1 of 2

verb

ˈshāk How to pronounce shake (audio)
Definition of shakenext
1
as in to shudder
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements the bus rattled and shook as it barreled down a rutted road

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to avoid
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery we shook our pursuers by cutting through the abandoned lot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shake

2 of 2

noun

1
as in minute
a very small space of time I'll be there in two shakes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shivers
shakes plural a sense of panic or extreme nervousness I get the shakes every time I hear her voice

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in quake
a shaking of the earth the shake was a modest 3.1 on the Richter scale

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word shake different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of shake are agitate, convulse, and rock. While all these words mean "to move up and down or to and fro with some violence," shake often carries a further implication of a particular purpose.

shake well before using

When could agitate be used to replace shake?

The words agitate and shake can be used in similar contexts, but agitate suggests a violent and prolonged tossing or stirring.

an ocean agitated by storms

When can convulse be used instead of shake?

The words convulse and shake are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, convulse suggests a violent pulling or wrenching as of a body in a paroxysm.

spectators were convulsed with laughter

When might rock be a better fit than shake?

In some situations, the words rock and shake are roughly equivalent. However, rock suggests a swinging or swaying motion resulting from violent impact or upheaval.

the whole city was rocked by the explosion

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
Verb
Dredge both sides of chicken breasts with flour mixture, pressing to adhere, shake off any excess. — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Apr. 2025 Trump's punishing tariffs have shaken a global trading order that has persisted for decades, raised fears of recession, and driven worldwide stocks sharply downward. — Joe Cash and Trevor Hunnicutt, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
Of course, not every shake could crack the top five—but that doesn’t mean the rest were a bust. — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 24 Mar. 2025 Another has been figuring out how best to protect the buildings' historic but extremely flammable shingles, also known as shakes. — Chloe Veltman, NPR, 31 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake
  1. shudder
  2. avoid
  3. minute
  4. quake
  5. jerk
  6. evade
  7. heartbeat
  8. earthquake
Verb
  • Most residents in the beachfront luxury condominium at Surfside were asleep in their beds when their 12-story residential building shuddered and then collapsed, pinning sleeping residents between the heavy concrete slabs of each floor.
    — Bruce Strom, Sun Sentinel, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Image Wall Street shuddered in response, with early market reaction pointing to a further slide in the stock market and a weakening dollar.
    — Natasha Frost, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
Definition of shudder
Verb
  • In another legend, the monk was said to have cut off his eyelids to avoid falling asleep during his meditation, one explanation for the doll’s wide-eyed stare.
    — Rebecca Cairns, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Facing the Marlins for the second time in a week, the Mets (7-3) avoided facing ace Sandy Alcantara, with the 2022 Cy Young Award winner having been added to the paternity list earlier in the day.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of avoid
Noun
  • What’s the statistic there, the average ER physician has to see a patient every three to four minutes?
    — Adam B. Vary, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
  • The defense's case to spare Mahdi's life before a judge lasted only about 30 minutes.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2025
Definition of minute
Noun
  • Myanmar’s quake is as close to a no-show as the nation has had in recent memory at a major, accessible natural disaster.
    — Ellen Knickmeyer and David Rising, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2025
  • The quake struck at 9:23 p.m. about five miles south-southeast of the city in San Benito County, the USGS reported.
    — Jason Green, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of quake
Verb
  • This apparently spooked an SUV driver in the next lane, who jerked the wheel to the left and ran into the opposite curb.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 Mar. 2025
  • How to jerk off Jerking off, also known as jacking off, is another technique that can be helpful in your arsenal of self-pleasure.
    — Quispe López, Them, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of jerk
Verb
  • Most of these are fine goals, and some (such as finally terminating the university’s efforts to evade a Supreme Court–ordered end to its use of race discrimination in admissions) ought to be uncontroversial.
    — The Editors, National Review, 16 Apr. 2025
  • Security scrutinized: Suspect eluded officers protecting Shapiro Balmer started fires while troopers searched Troopers were able to safely evacuate Shapiro's family and others in the mansion, but the fire raises the question of how Balmer was able to evade security.
    — John Bacon, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2025
Definition of evade
Noun
  • There’s a foot-stomping grin of a heartbeat to John’s piano riffs, too, content but happy.
    — Shana Naomi Krochmal, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
  • The miniature pacemaker is composed of two electrodes that, when in contact with the body’s fluids, form a type of battery called a galvanic cell, which converts chemical energy into electrical energy used to stimulate the heartbeat.
    — Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of heartbeat
Noun
  • Nearly 100 earthquake victims were already waiting for surgery when the team arrived.
    — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Known as museum mounting wax, the product comes in a solid block and acts as an adhesive for small objects, preventing them from toppling off their display stands due to an earthquake or accidental bump from kids, pets, or partygoers.
    — Carol Kino, Robb Report, 13 Apr. 2025
Definition of earthquake

Phrases Containing shake

Browse Nearby Words

shakable
shake
shake a leg
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Cite this Entry

“Shake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on shake

Nglish: Translation of shake for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shake

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