as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
the rumor is that he started his career shaking people down as an enforcer for the mob
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in bunk
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
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 down
William Pesek, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
The limited series centers on two Philadelphia con men, Ray (Brian Tyree Henry) and Manny (Wagner Moura), who pose as DEA agents in an effort to shake down small-time drug dealers.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2025
Steven J. Horowitz, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
Some privately have compared him to a mob boss: Tributes are required, and the shakedowns come with the full weight of the U.S. government.
—Alex Thompson, Axios, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake down
Verb
Now, Japan is finding out via news stories the ways in which Trump might rock Japan’s 2025 — from tariffs on autos to the weak yen to shaking down Tokyo for multibillion-dollar payments to maintain U.S. troop levels.
—William Pesek, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
The limited series centers on two Philadelphia con men, Ray (Brian Tyree Henry) and Manny (Wagner Moura), who pose as DEA agents in an effort to shake down small-time drug dealers.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2025
Noun
Harmonies abound as Elliott and Aaliyah take turns bemoaning the wrongdoer, culminating in a double-time shakedown from Da Brat.
52.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
Some privately have compared him to a mob boss: Tributes are required, and the shakedowns come with the full weight of the U.S. government.
—Alex Thompson, Axios, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake down
Verb
-
Disgruntled attendees, many of them authors, said they felt cheated by event organizers, who failed to deliver on most, if not all fronts.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
7 May 2025
-
In their stories about others, 92% chronicled how misfortune befell cheating partners, indebted friends, bullies and lousy coworkers.—
Kameryn Griesser,
CNN Money,
1 May 2025
Noun
-
There are 10 king bedrooms, five of which have sleeping lofts, two queen rooms, and one with bunks.—
Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
14 May 2025
-
Designed to hold 40,000 inmates, including mass murderers and drug traffickers, prisoners are confined in large, windowless cages with minimal furnishings of tiered metal bunks, an open toilet, and a cement basin.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Learning from someone else’s missteps can save you years of trial and error, providing reassurance and peace of mind.—
Hao Lam,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
-
Ohtani will have a little more than two months for such trial and error, and even less if the National League West remains competitive.—
Dylan Hernández,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2025
Noun
-
However, the Pentagon assessed in its report that the ship can launch large maritime unmanned aerial vehicles for strike, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 May 2025
-
For example, the Cooperative Institutes in Wisconsin and Colorado have developed software and methods that help meteorologists better understand the current state of tropical cyclones and forecast future intensity when aircraft reconnaissance isn’t immediately available.—
Chris Vagasky,
The Conversation,
5 May 2025
Verb
-
Custom Container Living View 8 Images Custom Container Living has transformed a shipping container into an ultra-compact tiny house that squeezes a home for two into just 160 sq ft (14.8 sq m).—
Adam Williams
May 08,
New Atlas,
8 May 2025
-
Auto dealers, squeezed by President Donald Trump’s tariffs on the industry, are already seeing a tighter supply of vehicles to offer buyers at a time when sticker prices for many models are set to climb. Pine Belt Subaru in Lakewood, New Jersey, normally receives 100 to 120 cars a month.—
Brian Cheung,
NBC news,
7 May 2025
Noun
-
This huge cat tree features three top perches, hammocks, hidden compartments for your cats to play in and a scratching post.—
Christopher Murray
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
13 May 2025
-
Or, simply hang up a hammock and sway to the sound of the stream, songbirds and the gentle swoosh of the wind through the trees.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2025
Noun
-
In late 2024, OpenAI’s o3 model indicated significantly stronger performance than any previous model on a number of the field’s most challenging tests of programming, abstract reasoning, and scientific reasoning.—
Yoshua Bengio,
Time,
9 May 2025
-
However, department officials declined to provide the copies of the soil test results, saying data had yet to be finalized.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
Dominating search Today, Google is much more than a search engine.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
9 May 2025
-
Alternatively, if a seller has listed an item that matches consumers’ searches around specific holidays—Valentine’s Day, for instance—Enhance My Listing might temporarily change the product’s title to garner more search traffic.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shake down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake%20down. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share