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
shook out; shaken out; shaking out; shakes out
: to prove to be in the end : turn out
wait to see how things shake 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
Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Sep. 2025
All-Terrain Testing My first run in the shoe was a short 5k shakeout on the roads around downtown Chamonix.
—Will Porter, Outside, 13 Sep. 2025
Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2025
The White House’s budget chief told lawmakers on Wednesday that those final decisions could start to shake out in a day or two.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shakeout
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Noun
But while fans eagerly await the leaderboard's final shakeout, one name has already slipped from contention: Robert MacIntyre.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Sep. 2025
All-Terrain Testing My first run in the shoe was a short 5k shakeout on the roads around downtown Chamonix.
—Will Porter, Outside, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
Winter is still a couple of months away, but long range forecasts are beginning to paint a picture of how things will shake out for Texas.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2025
The White House’s budget chief told lawmakers on Wednesday that those final decisions could start to shake out in a day or two.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shakeout
Cite this Entry
“Shakeout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shakeout. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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