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 The proper building and use of toxic AI for purposes of research, assessment, and acting like a detective to uncover other societally offensive AI is a worthy approach and ought to get its fair shake at being pursued. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 15 June 2022 That band didn’t get their fair shake. Matt Wake | Mwake@al.com, al, 7 Apr. 2021 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 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 This mountain town is outdoorsy yet luxe, and its location near the middle of the country means that everyone on your bicoastal guest list gets a fair shake. Sara Clemence, WSJ, 26 Aug. 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 Kobo readers a fair shake, and neither ecosystem is as good on those fronts. Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 10 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fair shake.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near fair shake

Cite this Entry

“Fair shake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fair%20shake. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

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