as in cheated
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
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Recent Examples of shaken down
Law firms are shaken down into submission.
—
Christopher Bouzy, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
Christopher Bouzy, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaken down
Verb
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Schiller is a man who cheated death and whose harrowing ordeal is dramatized by actor Tony Shalhoub in a recent movie.—
Troy Roberts,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
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The chat room was on fire, because Magnus Carlsen had lost to the kid—Hans Niemann—and then implied that Hans had cheated.—
Ben Mezrich,
Vanity Fair,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Sudhir Srivastava, vice president of the Noida Entrepreneurs Association, said manufacturers were being squeezed from multiple directions.—
Mayu Saini,
Footwear News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Bottom line Private credit’s share of overall financing in the US economy has grown, and when that growth slows or stops, small businesses with few other options get squeezed.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Beaufort, North Carolina This fishing village with century-old homes, idyllic marinas, and pristine beaches could be plucked from a vintage postcard.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2026
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With its cast of characters essentially plucked from Fugard’s early life in Port Elizabeth, the play introduces Hally (a stand-in for Fugard) at a crossroads.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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People have reported severe reactions, including anaphylaxis, after being stung by the ant.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
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Anthropic leaks its code; Mercor stung by data breach.—
John Kell,
Fortune,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Vegas beat Florida in that series in 2023, and Quick shared a handshake with Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky when that matchup was over.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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Before last week's first leg, Barcelona beat Atletico 2-1 in Madrid in a Spanish league game on April 4.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The front of the building is ripped off.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
16 Apr. 2026
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Pictures the sheriff's office shared show the inside paneling ripped off from all doors.—
Brandon Downs,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His family said Kearns was standing on solid ground before he was sucked into the drain and got stuck under five feet of floodwaters.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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Its first-stage booster made its 18th flight and stuck the landing without issue on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Kennywood Park To celebrate the anniversary of the Whip, the park said that the ride had some new painting work done over the offseason, including new logos on the cars commemorating the 100th anniversary.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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That path isn’t easy or certain, but Hungary has proved it can be done.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shaken down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaken%20down. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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