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
Anniek Bao, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
Finally, regardless of the scope of payments made, U.S. agriculture is on the road to the most wrenching financial shakeout in over 40 years.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 12 Oct. 2025
Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
Proponents of the shake method swear that shaking out your laundry will prevent tangling, make drying more efficient, and reduce wrinkles in the process.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shakeout
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Noun
Bloomberg | Getty Images Private equity fund managers are bracing for a wave of consolidation as investors demand higher returns and stronger governance, forcing a shakeout in an overcrowded industry, several industry veterans said at a high-level finance summit in Hong Kong on Tuesday.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
Finally, regardless of the scope of payments made, U.S. agriculture is on the road to the most wrenching financial shakeout in over 40 years.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
The Port of San Diego might have seen imports moderately increase from January through August in comparison to last year but things could still shake out differently by the end of 2025.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
Proponents of the shake method swear that shaking out your laundry will prevent tangling, make drying more efficient, and reduce wrinkles in the process.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 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 9 Nov. 2025.
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