1
as in shuddered
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
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2
as in escaped
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shaken
Whether it’s shaken, stirred, dirty, or dry, the martini remains one of the world’s most iconic and timeless drinks.
—
Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2025
But her world is shaken once more when another person with the same ability appears… a man who police believe is responsible for causing the earthquake that destroyed their town.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Christine and David are settling into married life, but Christine is shaken when her kids begin moving to North Carolina near Janelle, sparking jealousy and hurt.
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
That ruling has shaken Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025
When Nora, a Korean-American woman living in New York is visited by her childhood best friend and former long-distance romantic partner, Hae, her world— and that of her partner, Arthur—is shaken.
—John Ortved, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2025
At the outset of his trip Haeckel was still shaken from the death, probably by suicide, of one of his professors, the esteemed physician and marine biologist Johannes Müller.
—Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
According to a survey by Shopkick and Trax, while excitement for the holiday is as high as ever, rising costs have shaken shoppers’ candy budgets.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
And then there’s Langlois’ old friend, Simon Walsh, a dive shop owner, who is still shaken by the murders.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2025
But her world is shaken once more when another person with the same ability appears… a man who police believe is responsible for causing the earthquake that destroyed their town.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Christine and David are settling into married life, but Christine is shaken when her kids begin moving to North Carolina near Janelle, sparking jealousy and hurt.
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
That ruling has shaken Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025
When Nora, a Korean-American woman living in New York is visited by her childhood best friend and former long-distance romantic partner, Hae, her world— and that of her partner, Arthur—is shaken.
—John Ortved, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2025
At the outset of his trip Haeckel was still shaken from the death, probably by suicide, of one of his professors, the esteemed physician and marine biologist Johannes Müller.
—Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
According to a survey by Shopkick and Trax, while excitement for the holiday is as high as ever, rising costs have shaken shoppers’ candy budgets.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
And then there’s Langlois’ old friend, Simon Walsh, a dive shop owner, who is still shaken by the murders.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaken
Verb
-
Earth shuddered with yet another wave of extinctions in this initial chill.—
Peter Brannen,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
-
For much of last season, Atletico appeared set to seriously compete on all fronts, but their season shuddered to a stop in March with a series of disappointing defeats by Barcelona and Madrid across La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Champions League.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Other businesses, including a nearby convention center, restaurant and Ford assembly plant, escaped the blaze.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The mailman paused, checking to see if anyone had noticed or knew the puppy had escaped.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Travis jerked open the door and slid on his butt down a wing that was on fire.—
Gillian Telling,
PEOPLE,
20 Sep. 2025
-
The president starts out by making a visit to Liberty Arena to play basketball with some school children, then gets jerked away when the crisis happens.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Bears quarterback Caleb Williams hit tight end Colston Loveland with a pass and the tight end barely evaded two Bengals defenders, who hit each other instead of Loveland.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
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The Bills shut down Patrick Mahomes and evaded the Chiefs for the fifth straight time in the regular season to improve to a secure 6-2 mark.—
Torrey Hart,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Boston Red Sox have avoided arbitration with outfielder Jarren Duran this offseason, agreeing to terms on a new contract.—
Shaun McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
While administration officials have avoided overtly saying their goal is regime change — Trump has focused his public remarks on fighting drug cartels — the ultimate goal of democratizing Venezuela, and the resulting investment benefits, are front and center in investors’ minds.—
Shelby Talcott,
semafor.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Everyone danced and swayed, lazy smiles on their faces.—
David Amsden,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
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After getting out of the car, Rias almost fell two times, failed to walk in a straight line and swayed with each step, the complaint said.—
Alec Johnson,
jsonline.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shaken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaken. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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