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
The Lightning have shaken some of their recent playoff struggles in the series.
—
Eduardo A. Encina, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
Bake until lemon curd is set but still jiggles slightly when gently shaken, 18–24 minutes.
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 May 2026
The owner of the popular candy shop Madeleine's in Boston's South End said her staff is shaken after a man robbed them at knifepoint.
—CBS News, 1 May 2026
After their beloved, but toxic, friend group is shaken to its core by one couple's split and their friend's death, the six adults have to figure out a way to move on.
—Madeleine Janz, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Almost overnight, countries that had long outsourced their energy security to autocrats found their supplies cut, and their economies shaken.
—Jennifer Granholm, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
And the event went off without a security hitch, which was likely reassuring to members of Congress shaken by Saturday night's press dinner incident.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
And those cocktails are very well made, shaken or stirred.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
Sours are classically shaken with egg whites to give them a foamy top.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Eduardo A. Encina, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
Bake until lemon curd is set but still jiggles slightly when gently shaken, 18–24 minutes.
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 May 2026
The owner of the popular candy shop Madeleine's in Boston's South End said her staff is shaken after a man robbed them at knifepoint.
—CBS News, 1 May 2026
After their beloved, but toxic, friend group is shaken to its core by one couple's split and their friend's death, the six adults have to figure out a way to move on.
—Madeleine Janz, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Almost overnight, countries that had long outsourced their energy security to autocrats found their supplies cut, and their economies shaken.
—Jennifer Granholm, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
And the event went off without a security hitch, which was likely reassuring to members of Congress shaken by Saturday night's press dinner incident.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
And those cocktails are very well made, shaken or stirred.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
Sours are classically shaken with egg whites to give them a foamy top.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaken
Verb
-
At least the elevator still creaked and shuddered, as in the old days, finally trembling open on the eighth floor.—
Rick Bragg,
Southern Living,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Later, when Tristan gently put his hand on Marke’s shoulder, the king shuddered.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Nearly a year after 10 inmates escaped a New Orleans jail through a hole in the wall, a special grand jury has indicted the local sheriff on criminal corruption and obstruction charges in connection with the biggest jailbreak in recent American history.—
Greg Hilburn,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Authorities said the 10 inmates escaped from the Orleans Justice Center in the early morning hours after climbing through a hole behind a toilet.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The plane jerked to a stop as two trucks passed just feet in front of its nose.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
-
We are jerked between past and present as his backstory gets filled in, one jogged memory at a time.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
While testing the model, Anthropic discovered decades-old software flaws and bugs that had evaded millions of previous attempts.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
-
After Noah Cates won the faceoff back to Cam York, York moved the puck to Michkov, who evaded Penguins center Ben Kindel and sent the puck back to York for the series-winner.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Given the importance of preserving relations with the FCC, which has a say over a range of local station matters and must approve any mergers involving the transfer of broadcast licenses, LeGeyt has deliberately avoided a direct clash with his Washington counterpart.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
-
In Ukraine, Harry stepped into territory traditionally avoided by the royals.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The 28-year-old Nakatani, a southpaw, used his longer reach to keep Inoue’s punches at bay, while Inoue simply swayed his body or got out of the way.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 May 2026
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One key problem with California’s direct democracy is that voters are easily swayed by broad promises, but then lose interest in real-world outcomes.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shaken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaken. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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