shake out 1 of 2

verb

Definition of shake outnext
as in to prove
to come to be after hearing about all the elaborate planning, I can't wait to see how that wedding shakes out

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

shakeout

2 of 2

noun

as in shake-up

Related Words

Dissimilar 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 out
Verb
A certain segment of the fan base appears ready to move past Wilson and look right to the second-round rookie Bernard — and maybe that’s how the depth chart will eventually shake out. — Mike Defabo, New York Times, 21 July 2026 One rainy afternoon in August, Jean Booth scurried up the stairs of a nondescript Thai restaurant tucked into a strip mall off the highway, shook out her blue, shoulder-length hair and took out her phone. — Juliet Linderman, Fortune, 16 July 2026
Noun
Tung predicts a multi-year shakeout that will ripple through the LP base, the venture market and even the buyout market, and all at once. — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 11 June 2026 Duffy said that as a result of a low-cost carrier like Spirit shutting down, the industry will experience a shakeout where larger carriers that provide better offers and service take complete control. — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 2 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for shake out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake out
  1. prove
  2. shake-up
  3. fall out
  4. shutdown
  5. closing
  6. downsizing
Verb
  • Attempts to lure Marseille’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Bayern Munich’s Joao Palhinha have proven fruitless, with neither appearing likely to advance at this stage.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The bank argued that combination may prove difficult to sustain.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of prove
Noun
  • But with Farage under scrutiny and a Labor leadership shake-up that installed Andy Burnham as prime minister, there’s room for Labor to regain some ground.
    — Brian Melley, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • But following three straight presidential election defeats and plummeting poll numbers, Cheng won the party leadership on the platform that a radical shake-up was needed.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of shake-up
Verb
  • And then what was so funny is that you guys decided to put that picture on the card that falls out of the magazine that asked you to subscribe to the magazine.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Mazur is the first manager of Billy Joel, who had a famous falling out with the star.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of fall out
Noun
  • Attempts at redirecting water were not sufficient to maintain the cooling needs of the reactor, forcing a shutdown.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The fuel crisis, which began gaining momentum in May and by July had spread to almost all regions of Russia, follows the shutdown of several refineries hit in drone attacks and a seasonal rise in demand.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of shutdown
Noun
  • The closing of the Strait of Hormuz presents logistic challenges for large construction projects in the region.
    — Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • DinoLand’s closing date was first announced in September 2025.
    — Mackenzie Schmidt, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of closing
Noun
  • These tiny laundry room ideas prove that downsizing doesn’t have to mean downgrading your routine.
    — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Portillo’s had about 200 employees at its corporate offices prior to the downsizing, the company told the Tribune Thursday.
    — Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of downsizing

Browse Nearby Words

shake (off)
shake out
shakeout
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shake out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake%20out. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of oxymoron

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All