the shakes
noun
informal
: a condition in which parts of the body move uncontrollably
He drank too much coffee and got a bad case of the shakes.
The whole experience gave me the shakes.
Examples of the shakes in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The wife and children of John Wills Sr. of Richmond, California, sued Lyon, the distributor of the shakes, and Prairie Farms Dairy Inc., the manufacturer.
—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
Moses said the prosecution presented no evidence that James Craig was the person who dosed the shakes.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 30 July 2025
Their feedback: The taste was great, the flavors mixed well, and the shakes were smooth and not too filling.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 10 June 2025
Debilitating withdrawal symptoms followed: hot flashes, cold sweats, restless legs, the shakes and teeth grinding.
—Christina Caron, New York Times, 14 May 2025
Map: Earthquake recorded near Julian, California A tsunami is not expected, the National Weather Service San Diego office stated, noting that its forecasters felt the shakes.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
Records from the facilities involved showed that the shakes were available to residents and patients, the FDA said.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 24 Feb. 2025
Prairie Farms and distributor Lyons Magnus have recalled the shakes.
—Katherine Dillinger and Neha Mukherjee, CNN, 24 Feb. 2025
And then there are the shakes which recognize someone or something with ties to UM baseball or the Hurricanes in general.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 15 Feb. 2025
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Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
Moses said the prosecution presented no evidence that James Craig was the person who dosed the shakes.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 30 July 2025
Their feedback: The taste was great, the flavors mixed well, and the shakes were smooth and not too filling.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 10 June 2025
Debilitating withdrawal symptoms followed: hot flashes, cold sweats, restless legs, the shakes and teeth grinding.
—Christina Caron, New York Times, 14 May 2025
Map: Earthquake recorded near Julian, California A tsunami is not expected, the National Weather Service San Diego office stated, noting that its forecasters felt the shakes.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
Records from the facilities involved showed that the shakes were available to residents and patients, the FDA said.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 24 Feb. 2025
Prairie Farms and distributor Lyons Magnus have recalled the shakes.
—Katherine Dillinger and Neha Mukherjee, CNN, 24 Feb. 2025
And then there are the shakes which recognize someone or something with ties to UM baseball or the Hurricanes in general.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 15 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“The shakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20shakes. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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