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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1
as in bunk
Related Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shake down
Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2026
The laps were completed as part of a promotional filming day, serving the dual purpose of gathering footage of the car on track, and the opportunity to shake down the car to ensure all systems are working as expected in preparation for official pre-season testing.
—Bruce Martin, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Josh Dinner, Space.com, 16 Apr. 2026
The spacecraft commander headed a team of four on the Artemis II shakedown cruise of the new Orion spacecraft, flying a trajectory that took them to the moon and then 4,700 miles beyond the lunar far side—farther from Earth than any human beings have ever ventured.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shake down
Verb
But the rest of the offensive line is a mystery, especially since the Dolphins are seemingly trying to shake down starting right tackle Austin Jackson, restructuring his contract to create cap space.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2026
The laps were completed as part of a promotional filming day, serving the dual purpose of gathering footage of the car on track, and the opportunity to shake down the car to ensure all systems are working as expected in preparation for official pre-season testing.
—Bruce Martin, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Noun
Principally, Artemis 2 was a test flight of Orion's life support systems and a shakedown cruise to verify that the craft can sustain a crew during a mission to lunar space.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 16 Apr. 2026
The spacecraft commander headed a team of four on the Artemis II shakedown cruise of the new Orion spacecraft, flying a trajectory that took them to the moon and then 4,700 miles beyond the lunar far side—farther from Earth than any human beings have ever ventured.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shake down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake down
Verb
-
Fred, their oldest surviving child, was suspended from Princeton for cheating, then caught embezzling from his Seattle employer to feed, Church suspected, a gambling habit.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Venezuela contends the Americans and Europeans conspired to cheat their country out of the land.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Ken Smith, an AT&T incident commander, pointed to the vehicles painted in AT&T’s bright blue—the display included trailers outfitted to accommodate kitchens, bunks, and showers—and the smaller array of vehicles in FirstNet black, most sprouting satellite receivers.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
1 May 2026
-
Comey, of course, calls that bunk.—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The column gossiped about which journalists and pundits did not pass the new purity test.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
Most programmes here include having a 3GL test upon arrival, to show how your body is metabolising its food which then allows the nutritionist to tailor make your meals which include two snacks between breakfast, lunch and dinner.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
In 1960, the Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 reconnaissance plane and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
These sensors help with reconnaissance and surveillance, so operators can gather information before striking.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
It was triggered, in his telling, by the record oil price spike of June 2008, which forced ordinary households to absorb more than $2,000 in additional energy costs on top of adjustable-rate mortgage resets that were already squeezing them.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
-
Gas prices, housing costs and groceries are squeezing people who are working hard yet still falling behind.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
For the best experience, take my lead and book the Éxi room for a large balcony with complete sea views and outdoor hammocks.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 May 2026
-
Snag a Pawleys Island rope hammock at The Original Hammock Shop, a new pair of sandals at Pawleys Island Shoes, or a bottle of artisanal olive oil at Pawleys Island Olive Oil.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Tomorrow’s event marks Russia’s defeat of Nazi Germany, and usually involves months of rehearsals and a huge military parade.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
8 May 2026
-
According to the military newspaper Stars and Stripes, the Thunderbirds cost taxpayers about $35 million a year in salaries, aircraft, fuel, rehearsals and the C-17 cargo plane that hauls 50-plus support crew and spare parts to every stop on the tour.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
The person who confirmed the FBI’s search was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation by name and spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.—
Eric Tucker,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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Police had gone into the store in search of a suspect who assaulted people with a metal bicycle lock.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shake down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake%20down. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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