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
Raids spark different reactions In previous raids – in Postville, Iowa, in 2008 or at Mississippi poultry plants in 2019 – entire towns were shaken because detainees were parents, neighbors and longtime residents.
—
Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Leaving the three representatives, Quent, and even Demerzel absolutely shaken to their core, Dusk visits the hall of holographic busts of Cleons’ past.
—Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
As a producer in Hollywood, Reynolds also admitted to having shaken his head over some giant tentpole budgets.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
Decades on, some witnesses remain visibly shaken, recalling trauma and vivid memories.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
However, this serene connection is abruptly shaken when Rintaro discovers that Kaoruko is actually a student at Kikyo.
—EW.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The confluence of new political pressures in post-pandemic Japan, namely inflation, a surge in immigration, and the rise of new forms of media, has shaken politics.
—Mireya Solís, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
Neighbors said they were shaken to learn that the killer had been plotting crimes there undetected, raising questions about whether anyone had noticed the cache of weapons building up inside the rental.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025
The deadly incident has shaken Maryvale residents, mourners at the memorial shared.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Leaving the three representatives, Quent, and even Demerzel absolutely shaken to their core, Dusk visits the hall of holographic busts of Cleons’ past.
—Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
As a producer in Hollywood, Reynolds also admitted to having shaken his head over some giant tentpole budgets.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
Decades on, some witnesses remain visibly shaken, recalling trauma and vivid memories.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
However, this serene connection is abruptly shaken when Rintaro discovers that Kaoruko is actually a student at Kikyo.
—EW.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The confluence of new political pressures in post-pandemic Japan, namely inflation, a surge in immigration, and the rise of new forms of media, has shaken politics.
—Mireya Solís, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
Neighbors said they were shaken to learn that the killer had been plotting crimes there undetected, raising questions about whether anyone had noticed the cache of weapons building up inside the rental.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025
The deadly incident has shaken Maryvale residents, mourners at the memorial shared.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaken
Verb
-
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
-
The van shuddered, shifted gear.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Two 12-year-old girls escaped the fire.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Families escaped to calm waters for canoeing, hiking, and long afternoons spent idling on the shore.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
If Hall jerked too violently, let alone tried to run, the wire would pull the trigger, firing the shotgun Kiritsis had pointed at the back of Hall’s head.—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Large swaths of eastern Colorado have evaded the drought plaguing most of the state west of 25.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Weaponized stubbornness Scoring is a straightforward concept, but success in this realm evaded Florida Saturday night.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Notably, Miami midfielder Sergio Busquets avoided punishment after appearing to strike Vargas on the chin during the post-match melee.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
-
During his March 2023 visit to Mariupol, Putin had avoided the theater.—
Yegor Mostovshikov,
The Dial,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Commission was swayed by Clattenburg’s expertise, saying that his view of the incidents was of greater import than Jackson’s.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Elite players, like elite coaches, are often swayed by the highest bidder.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
31 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shaken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaken. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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