shakedown

1 of 2

noun

shake·​down ˈshāk-ˌdau̇n 

1

: an improvised bed (such as one made up on the floor)

2

: a boisterous dance

3

: an act or instance of shaking someone down

especially : extortion

4

: a thorough search

5

: a process or period of adjustment

6

: a testing under operating conditions of something new (such as a ship) for possible faults and defects and for familiarizing the operators with it

shake down

2 of 2

verb

shook down; shaken down; shaking down; shakes down

intransitive verb

1

a

: to take up temporary quarters

b

: to occupy an improvised or makeshift bed

2

a

: to become accustomed especially to new surroundings or duties

b

: to settle down

transitive verb

1

: to obtain money from in a deceitful, contemptible, or illegal manner

racketeers shaking down store owners for protection

2

: to make a thorough search of

3

: to bring about a reduction of

4

: to give a shakedown test to

shook down the vessel before its maiden voyage

Synonyms

Verb

• cheat
• squeeze
• pluck
• sting
• hustle
• stick
• beat
• screw
• rip off
• do
• bleed

Examples of shakedown in a Sentence

Noun

He was the victim of a shakedown by a street gang.

The guards conducted a shakedown of the prisoners' cells to look for weapons.

They're putting the system through a shakedown.

Verb

the rumor is that he started his career shaking people down as an enforcer for the mob

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

President Donald Trump took a victory lap after his latest shakedown of a big tech company, sharing a meme showing an embarrassed YouTube exec handing over a giant-size check for $24.5 million to the president. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025

This is a third-world country shakedown, all because someone who talks for a living said something stupid. —Jesse Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025

Verb

Julian dispatches Ares and his deputy, Athena (an imperious Jodie Turner-Smith), to the physical world, ordering them to shake down Eve for information about Flynn’s code. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025

Advertisement Considering Trump’s tendency to move the goal posts, the Japanese government and business community can be forgiven for feeling like they are being shaken down. —Jeff Kingston, Time, 4 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1730, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1859, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Rhymes for shakedown

• chinatown
• tumbledown
• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown

Kids Definition

shakedown

noun

shake·​down ˈshāk-ˌdau̇n 

: a testing under operating conditions of something new (as a ship) for possible faults or for the operators to become more familiar with it

a shakedown cruise