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
Julia Moore, People.com, 16 May 2025
Then, at a family wedding in September 2022, Ms. Soudani was shaken to see her brother humbled.
—Christopher Maag, New York Times, 15 May 2025
Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2025
Look for paleta shakes, waffle bowls and burritos, vegan dark chocolate and cookie butter, as well as mango, passion fruit and more.
—Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake
Verb
When Unique told Raq that Kanan came to him asking to team up, that shook her.
—Julia Moore, People.com, 16 May 2025
Then, at a family wedding in September 2022, Ms. Soudani was shaken to see her brother humbled.
—Christopher Maag, New York Times, 15 May 2025
Noun
Brevard Location: 122 miles from Charlotte What to do:
Get nostalgic with a burger and a shake at Cardinal Drive-In.
—Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2025
Look for paleta shakes, waffle bowls and burritos, vegan dark chocolate and cookie butter, as well as mango, passion fruit and more.
—Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake
Verb
-
One shudders to think how Ross, whom Grant divorced in 1929, and who died in 1951, would have reacted to so echoing a lack.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
-
The sound seemed to shudder like a pot about to blow its lid.—
Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
Hoerner avoided the tag, which would’ve been the second out of the inning.—
C. Trent Rosecrans,
New York Times,
26 May 2025
-
The collection avoids rigid standards by mixing tailored silhouettes with combat trousers and chunky sneakers.—
Cassell Ferere,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
Noun
-
Related Articles But an explosive seven minutes clinched the Panthers’ victory, sending Florida to its third straight Eastern Conference final with a 6-1 win over the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Sunday.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
19 May 2025
-
Picking up that camera turned out to be a fateful move and the results of that documentation — all 145 minutes of it, shaped from 800 hours of footage — will be unveiled at Cannes with LaBeouf taking a seat in Buñuel Theatre.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
18 May 2025
Noun
-
Analysts have warned that victory for Simion this weekend could lead to a much more dramatic financial quake on Monday.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
16 May 2025
-
The largest earthquake ever reported in the area was a 5.4 magnitude quake in southern Illinois in 1968, according to USGS.—
Kate Linderman,
Kansas City Star,
13 May 2025
Verb
-
Earthquakes cause the ground to move in unpredictable ways, sometimes sharply jerking, other times swaying like a ship in rough seas.—
Maya Wei-Haas,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Confused Lochlan, who thoughtfully jerked off his older brother so that Saxon wouldn’t feel left out.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The former prisoners who have continued to evade police for nearly a week include Leo Tate, Jermaine Donald, Derrick Groves, Lenton Vanburen and Antoine Massey, according to USA Today, while Corey Boyd, Gary Price, Kendell Myles, Robert Moody, and Dkenan Dennis have been re-arrested.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
22 May 2025
-
Penguin Press, June 17 Image El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott After skipping town to evade a nagging creditor in 2008, Harper returns to her Detroit suburb months later to find her two older sisters, once in the throes of debt, sporting fresh highlights and driving a Lexus.—
Laura Thompson,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
Vance is the first millennial to stand a heartbeat from the presidency.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
18 May 2025
-
Lisa Schein, 43, placed a stethoscope on Mireya Moody’s chest and listened carefully to the heartbeat that once belonged to her own daughter, Maddy.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
17 May 2025
Noun
-
Extreme poverty affected more than one in four Syrians in 2022, the bank said, adding that this number likely deteriorated after a devastating earthquake in February 2023.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
14 May 2025
-
Masudi,also helped coordinate disaster aid after the 2023 earthquake in the Herat Province, was one of the recipients of the Diana Award in 2024.—
Rana Wehbe Watson,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share