as in to cheat
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in bunk
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
Examples 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 down
Megan Crepeau, Chicago Tribune, 6 Oct. 2024
Even the dean of the council, Burke, wasn’t above shaking down a businessman who needed city permits to fix up a rundown Burger King.
—Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2024
Matthew Self, The Arizona Republic, 16 Sep. 2024
After years of delays, Starliner launched in June for what was meant to be a roughly weeklong test mission — a final shakedown before it could be certified to rotate crew to and from the orbital laboratory.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shake down 
Verb
The governor also was charged with shaking down leaders of a racetrack and a children’s hospital for political donations.
—Megan Crepeau, Chicago Tribune, 6 Oct. 2024
Even the dean of the council, Burke, wasn’t above shaking down a businessman who needed city permits to fix up a rundown Burger King.
—Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2024
Noun
September usually offers college football fans a forceful shakedown, destroying preseason myths and fortifying the teams left standing; ASU eluding that kind of clarity might be its most impressive win of the season.
—Matthew Self, The Arizona Republic, 16 Sep. 2024
After years of delays, Starliner launched in June for what was meant to be a roughly weeklong test mission — a final shakedown before it could be certified to rotate crew to and from the orbital laboratory.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shake down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake down
Verb
-
The post comes as Trump has for days basely accused the key battleground state of cheating.Luke Barr, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2024
-
The activation comes amid a particularly tense election year, with former President Trump, the Republican nominee, already claiming that Democrats are cheating.Brad Dress, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Now everybody’s chilling, getting in their bus bunk by 11:00 p.m.Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 27 Sep. 2024
-
The room and bunks are decorated in neutrals with pops of the aforementioned moody blue-gray color.Claire Hoppe, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Sep. 2024
Noun
-
After trial and error, my colleagues and I found that rats could learn to drive forward by grasping a small wire that acted like a gas pedal.Kelly Lambert, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024
-
The early years of entrepreneurship are typically filled with trial and error, so having the time to experiment with different ideas and strategies—without the financial obligations associated with older age—can be hugely fruitful in building a solid business foundation.Sabine Leveiller, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
In 1962: The Cuban Missile Crisis began when a U.S. U-2 reconnaissance aircraft captured photographic evidence of Soviet medium-range ballistic missiles in Cuba.Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 17 Oct. 2024
-
The first defensive measures to appear in Russian reconnaissance drones were small backward-facing cameras.David Hambling, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
Often the rookie spends several minutes adjusting their chair, finding the right eye relief, and remembering their shooting form before ever squeezing the trigger for that first dry fire.Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 13 Nov. 2024
-
The investigation reveals a dismal picture of a company with a sales culture that depends on squeezing infirm and elderly patients and the government for every penny.Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 13 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
This nylon hammock folds down into a small storage pouch, is incredibly lightweight while still able to hold up to 400 pounds of weight, and uses two Talon straps and carabiners to secure it between two trees.Jamie Spain, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2024
-
Felipe Castellari The lodge’s Edenic (and fenced-in) grounds were built around relaxation, with hammocks and loungers, private patios, a central fireplace room, and a bay-view swimming pool.Stephanie Vermillion, Vogue, 13 Aug. 2024
Noun
-
Cutting-edge test yields diagnoses for some medical mysteries A researcher loads DNA samples into a biorobot at UCSF’s China Basin laboratories.Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
-
But when the gaps between grades and test scores are this immense and consistent, parents and the public should not be fooled.Karin Klein, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
During the search, officers found a plastic pencil box in the passenger seat containing cocaine, methamphetamine and oxycodone tablets.Bay City News Service, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
-
Captain Scott says his office conducted a search for Lashaunda on May 21 that spanned 15-20 miles along the highway near Lashaunda’s home.Anna Turning, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near shake down
Cite this Entry
“Shake down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake%20down. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share