Thesaurus results for SHAKE DOWN

shake down 1 of 2

verb

Definition of shake down

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

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shakedown

2 of 2

noun

as in bunk

Related Words

as in test

Related Words

as in reconnaissance

Related 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 down

Verb

The city hired a second firm to represent Watts, as the city was legally responsible for covering legal judgments against him despite his federal prison sentence for shaking down a drug courier. — Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026 Cipriani followed this script in his effort to shake down Jeff Shell. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 16 Mar. 2026

Noun

Previous versions of the script depicted the case against the singer as being a shakedown, according to The New York Times. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026 Inspired by mishaps on an Alaskan adventure of their own, and the sliding top-over-bottom action of hat and match boxes, the Halls started building their prototype in 1953 and took it for an official Alaskan shakedown in 1957. — New Atlas, 21 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shake down

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake down

Verb

The American grandmaster shed some light on his mindset following Kramnik’s cheating accusations in a livestream prior to his death, according to the Associated Press.

— Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 4 July 2026
Trump has also continued to claim Democrats are trying to rig or cheat in the upcoming election, remarks that have faced rebukes from members of his own party.

— Ana Ceballos Follow, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026

Definition of cheat

Noun

Apparently not content with their performances the night before, in the morning Luke lies down next to Gen in Nathan’s bottom bunk, where their way-too-loud hook-up continues in less… uh, penetrative fashion.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 7 July 2026
The kitchen is sleek and fully equipped for feeding a crowd, and the sleeping arrangements strike that rare balance between elevated and practical—proper suites for the adults and a bunk room that kids will immediately claim.

— Madeline Weinfield, Architectural Digest, 24 June 2026

Definition of bunk

Noun

Groups like EdTrust-West and The Campaign for College Opportunity, which champion equity and access to higher education, pushed back and said standardized tests in UC admissions were biased against low-income and minority students.

— Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
Chen’s work focuses on using seismological data to improve methods to identify and monitor nuclear tests.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 15 July 2026

Definition of test

Noun

Both Russian and Ukrainian forces employ thousands of drones for reconnaissance, strike missions, electronic warfare, and logistics.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026
Anthropic said the tool was used to automate reconnaissance, credential harvesting and network penetration, and that ransoms sometimes exceeded $500,000.

— Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of reconnaissance

Verb

The result is a new generation of patients planning trips around treatments rather than squeezing appointments into an existing vacation.

— Meggen Harris, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
With inflation squeezing their margins and rideshare platforms demanding a large share of their earnings, a driver’s split-second decision to accept a fare is a high-stakes calculation of business survival.

— Christopher S. Tang, The Conversation, 8 July 2026

Definition of squeeze

Noun

Get comfy in your hammock, pour a glass of lemonade, and get ready to make some sunny memories!

— Holly Lebowitz Rossi, Parents, 2 July 2026
But Wright was relaxing in a hammock when those words came to him; Thomson, in the stiff upholstery of the multiplex, is worse off.

— Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026

Definition of hammock

Noun

The 515 Music Hub is also new, a partnership between Music Across Borders, Open Doors KC and KC Jazz Alive and has hosted musicians at its rehearsal space and live venue.

— Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2026
Finally, slides should support the speaker with rich media, and genuine practice, not rigid rehearsal, allows for spontaneity and authenticity, ultimately boosting personal and career visibility.

— William Arruda, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Definition of rehearsal

Noun

During the war, as the death toll ticked upward in the enclave, search operations for bodies largely stopped, either because most heavy equipment was destroyed, fuel became scarce or many strike sites became inaccessible due to the fighting.

— Bilal Shbeir, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
After his search came up empty, Ronaldo Salgado came across a Facebook post about ICE activity in the East End area.

— Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 9 July 2026

Definition of search

Browse Nearby Words

shake a leg

shake down

shakedown

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Style

“Shake down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake%20down. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of shake down

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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