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shake

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noun

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
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
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
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
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
Verb
  • 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
  • Cass jerked open the lever again and an unused shell arcked out and fell in the leaves beside the bleeding hound.
    Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 13 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The group has claimed dozens of strikes against Israel throughout the war in Gaza, some of which have managed to evade the country's state-of-the-art air defense systems.
    Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Overtourism is to blame That year, a railway company also launched a probe against four popular YouTubers over their stunt to evade fares on public transport, according to local media.
    Chris Lau, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Though her fetus was already pressing against her cervix, doctors waited 40 hours until the fetal heartbeat stopped to inducea delivery, putting her at serious risk of deadly infection.
    Kavitha Surana, ProPublica, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Donaldson is the heartbeat of the Michigan Wolverines, and his heart-stopping, circus-style scoop shot with 59 seconds remaining Saturday cemented their trip to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
    Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Nearly 100 earthquake victims were already waiting for surgery when the team arrived.
    Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Repairs to manufacturing units from the severe impact of the earthquake in February 2023 have been made.
    Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 8 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Shake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

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