fair shake

noun

: a fair chance or fair treatment

Examples of fair shake in a Sentence

it's going to be tough to get a fair shake the way this country's legal system is set up
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Yet there’s a chance he can be stopped, if the West takes bold action to help ensure his domestic opposition gets a fair shake in upcoming presidential elections. John Bolton, WSJ, 16 Jan. 2023 That's my favorite part of being on that side of it, is really giving the female characters a fair shake. Gerrad Hall, EW.com, 6 Dec. 2022 The Colts situation is yet more proof for Flores in his lawsuit against the NFL that a Good Old Boy network exists to prevent minority candidates like Flores from getting a fair shake. Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Nov. 2022 Wilks, 53, went 3-13 in his one season as coach of the Cardinals in 2018, but it wasn't considered a fair shake by many. Nate Atkins, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Nov. 2022 See All Example Sentences for fair shake

Word History

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fair shake was in 1820

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fair shake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fair%20shake. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!