1
as in to shudder
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
the bus rattled and shook as it barreled down a rutted road
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to avoid
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery
we shook our pursuers by cutting through the abandoned lot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in minute
a very small space of time
I'll be there in two shakes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shivers
shakes plural
a sense of panic or extreme nervousness
I get the shakes every time I hear her voice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in quake
a shaking of the earth
the shake was a modest 3.1 on the Richter scale
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shake
Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2025
Market risk: Terra's 2022 implosion erased $60 billion in days and even shook Tether's peg—without circuit breakers, cascades spread instantly.
—Roomy Khan, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 31 July 2025
Even a slight shake from pressing the shutter can blur your moon shot, especially with slower shutter speeds in low light.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake
Verb
Place flour in a shallow dish, and lightly coat each pork chop with flour, shaking off excess.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2025
Market risk: Terra's 2022 implosion erased $60 billion in days and even shook Tether's peg—without circuit breakers, cascades spread instantly.
—Roomy Khan, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Noun
Southern California experienced a shake this morning as a preliminary 4.3 magnitude earthquake hit California’s Inland Empire on Thursday, July 31.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 31 July 2025
Even a slight shake from pressing the shutter can blur your moon shot, especially with slower shutter speeds in low light.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake
Verb
-
Once the bullet had lodged itself in the soft flesh above its shoulder, the elephant shuddered and came to a stop.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Aug. 2025
-
All those sharp tool and drills are enough to make anyone shudder.—
Marilyn La Jeunesse,
Parents,
9 July 2025
Verb
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That ambiguity reflects a desire to maintain strategic flexibility and avoid premature entanglement in a potential war.—
Frank Lavin,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
-
Abbott put redistricting on the agenda at the urging of President Donald Trump, who wants to shore up Republicans’ narrow House majority and avoid a repeat of his first presidency, when the 2018 midterms restored Democrats to a House majority that blocked his agenda and twice impeached him.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
About one or two minutes later, a single shot was heard.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
23 Aug. 2025
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Abrego Garcia's attorney Sean Hecker told The Tennessean minutes after 2 p.m. Aug. 22 that Abrego Garcia was set free from the Putnam County Jail and on his way to Maryland.—
Evan Mealins,
The Tennessean,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In 2010, a magnitude 7.2 quake near Mexicali caused stronger shaking and structural impacts in the Imperial Valley.—
Janiele Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Aug. 2025
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The quake was recorded just before 8 p.m. local time, the BBC and Reuters reported.—
Abigail Adams,
People.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Perry appears to jerk uncontrollably while being lifted into the sky in footage posted after her Raleigh, North Carolina, performance on August 17.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
18 Aug. 2025
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However, the tidal wave of claims – many of which turned out to either be false, or simply lacking evidentiary support – caused an over-correction across the legal system that was akin to jerking the steering wheel the moment your tires begin to slip on ice.—
Lauryn Overhultz , Larry Fink,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
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As an adult, he was convicted of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury in 2018 and evading an officer with willful disregard for public safety in 2023.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
25 Aug. 2025
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In the movie, the pair attend a baseball game with Ferris’ girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara) while evading their high school principal (Jeffrey Jones), at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.—
Dan Heching,
CNN Money,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Independent bookstores are the heartbeats of their communities.—
American Booksellers Association,
USA Today,
23 Aug. 2025
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That’s usually where the heartbeat of your brand lives.—
Vivek Anand Oberoi,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In June, more than 2,000 earthquakes were recorded in a single day, according to Oregon State University.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
19 Aug. 2025
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But after the earthquake of Trump’s economic regime change, the terrain has become much rougher.—
Adam S. Posen,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake. Accessed 30 Aug. 2025.
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