shakeout

1 of 2

noun

shake·​out ˈshāk-ˌau̇t 

1

: the failure or retrenchment of a significant number of firms in the economy or a sector or an industry that usually results in a depressed market

2

: a period or process in which the relatively weak or unessential are eliminated

shake out

2 of 2

verb

shook out; shaken out; shaking out; shakes out

intransitive verb

: to prove to be in the end : turn out

wait to see how things shake out

Synonyms

Verb

• come out
• fall out
• pan out
• prove
• turn out

Examples of shakeout in a Sentence

Verb

after hearing about all the elaborate planning, I can't wait to see how that wedding shakes out

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

So, whether Amazon’s AI jobs shakeout turns out to be a painful retrenching, a gradual recalibration, or something else entirely, recent history seems to suggest the company, if nothing else, has the right man for the job. —Jason Del Rey, Fortune, 17 June 2025

Palace, sitting at the bottom of the Women’s Super League (WSL) table, were the perfect confidence-boosting shakeout as Chelsea won 4-0. —Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025

Verb

Welcome to the first edition of The Athletic’s Club World Cup daily power rankings, our look at who’s hot, who’s not, and how the struggle for global club supremacy is shaking out. —Jeff Rueter, New York Times, 18 June 2025

But cheer up: Once everything shakes out, maybe the Trojans and Irish will wind up in the same Super League division. —Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 30 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1895, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1982, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for shakeout

• roundabout
• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout