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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shake
Michele Luhn, CNBC, 20 June 2025
Now, to celebrate 20 years of shaking the table, Telfar is making its return to the runway this Juneteenth weekend… but not without letting the people have a say first.
—Karissa Mitchell, Essence, 20 June 2025
Misaki Kawatsu, Vogue, 10 June 2025
After each session, players consumed recovery shakes.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake
Verb
Markets have been shaken by the possibility that the conflict could potentially disrupt oil supply in the Middle East.
—Michele Luhn, CNBC, 20 June 2025
Now, to celebrate 20 years of shaking the table, Telfar is making its return to the runway this Juneteenth weekend… but not without letting the people have a say first.
—Karissa Mitchell, Essence, 20 June 2025
Noun
Enjoying a protein shake after my workout became something of a ritual.
—Misaki Kawatsu, Vogue, 10 June 2025
After each session, players consumed recovery shakes.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake
Verb
-
Wednesday: Eve of the Outcasts: What starts off as a fun school carnival (shudder!) falls under Wednesday’s spell to make for a twisted tour through the macabre.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
17 June 2025
-
Both John and Jerry are fathers trying to mold their sons in their own images in the face of an unrecognizable country, but neither of their struggles is meaningfully explored in the span of a 96-minute film that doesn’t have time to do anything but shudder at these men’s shared helplessness.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
10 June 2025
Verb
-
The movie also acknowledges that there is a climate crisis, but tries to avoid having viewers frozen with fear.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2025
-
But Augustin pleaded guilty to second-degree assault as a hate crime, avoiding even more prison time if he had been convicted by a Queens jury on the manslaughter charge.—
Sheetal Banchariya,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
If an object’s position or brightness has changed, an alert will be issued to the global scientific community within just two minutes.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
-
Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
The United States Geological Survey reported the quake had a magnitude of 5.9 and was detected at a depth of 19.3 miles.—
Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports,
Arkansas Online,
12 June 2025
-
The devastating earthquake in Turkey in 2023, which killed hundreds of people and decimated communities near the Syrian border, was a 7.8 magnitude quake.—
Chloe Mayer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 June 2025
Verb
-
Then, of course, there were the jerking motions and the cognitive decline.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
5 May 2025
-
More often than not, the jerking movements to get free only bring the meal into contact with more points of sticky contact.—
Riley Black,
Smithsonian Magazine,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
Cochran drove in a manner that indicated to Taylor that the sheriff was trying to evade him, Welch said.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
28 June 2025
-
Last year, the Russians began including decoy drones with their Shahed drones to increase the likelihood of evading Ukrainian defenses.—
Vikram Mittal,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
Spanning over 30 years, the event will once again celebrate the heartbeat of Latin music and culture with four days of panels, marquee conversations, roundtables, showcases, networking and activations.—
Jessica Roiz,
Billboard,
25 June 2025
-
Music has always been the heartbeat of the VMAs, but the show’s soul comes from its willingness to break rules, embrace unpredictability and reflect the times.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
Additional information collected about the earthquake may also prompt U.S.G.S. scientists to update the shake-severity map.—
William B. Davis,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
-
Like an earthquake, the tectonic plates connecting the culture and the industry have shifted — and hip-hop may never be the same.—
Touré,
HollywoodReporter,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share