SHAKEN Synonyms: 95 Similar and Opposite Words

shaken

verb

past participle of shake

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

Relevance

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

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 shaken Still, anti-vaccine rhetoric, misinformation, and disinformation have shaken confidence in the vaccine, driving down vaccination rates. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2026 Neighbors say they're left shaken after an elderly couple was lured out of their home by thieves, who ransacked their house and stole from them. — Jermont Terry, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 The fighting in the Middle East has shaken oil markets, pushing gas prices to record highs. — Michael Loria, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 Gallagher’s killing has shaken his family and those who knew him in Haiti. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026 The series of attacks has shaken the members of the community, despite most users recognizing there was not much that the Cara team could do in the face of escalating capabilities of scrapers and hackers. — Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 Fagersta Mayor Asa-Marta Sjostrom said the small town was shaken. — CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 The seats are being shaken, water and scents are being sprayed. — Wisdom Iheanyichukwu, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026 Willie Lincoln, 1862 Of all the deaths that have shaken the White House, none have publicly devastated a family more than the loss of 11-year-old Willie Lincoln. — Sophie Clausen, PEOPLE, 17 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaken

Verb

On Thursday, Clancy loudly sobbed, shuddered and covered her face with her hands as a medical examiner testified about Callan’s autopsy.

— Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
The way the stadium shuddered with noise.

— Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 7 May 2026

Definition of shuddered

Verb

In the mechanical maintenance shop, five employees and the foreman escaped, but two were killed from exposure to the chemical, the report said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Simpson escaped pressure and rolled out to his left before firing a pass to diving receiver Brennan Presley for a touchdown.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of escaped

Verb

But in 1933, within a matter of days, they were jerked back into reality.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
Once the squid gather near the surface, lines fitted with bait are lowered into the water and rapidly jerked up and down to imitate small prey such as shrimp, triggering strikes before the catch is reeled aboard.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 20 June 2026

Definition of jerked

Verb

But Iran has, in many cases, successfully evaded the sanctions by setting up new front companies.

— Rob Wile, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2026
The first, a corner, saw McBurnie free at the far post to hit a shot Lammens did well to claw out before the ball fell to Semi Ajayi in space in the six-yard box, having evaded Harry Maguire and Noussair Mazraoui.

— Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of evaded

Verb

Comics took so many shots at the 79-year-old Albuquerque woman who sued McDonald’s over a scalding cup of coffee that swayed Americans allowed tort reform to tilt the balance of power from customers to companies.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Palm trees swayed over a serene campus where students surfed at Campus Point between (or in lieu of) classes.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of swayed

Verb

Oswego avoided sending the ball near the speedy Konkey on kickoffs to prevent a repeat of last week’s scoring on a return.

— Jerry Birchfield, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
First, the Chiefs avoided an injury risk to Patrick Mahomes, who is recovering from knee surgery to repair a torn ACL and MCL from last December.

— Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026