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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Bondi forgave a crime that had put people’s lives at risk and cheated the government of vaccine doses that could have been given to others.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The tension resurfaced when her sister discovered her partner had cheated again and asked to stay at the poster’s home with both children.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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At one point, the fear that squeezed my stomach tighter and tighter gave way to stupefaction.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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Even if those increases eventually unwind, the impact will fall on households that have already been squeezed for decades, and many households are no longer assuming prices will fall back—they’ve been burned too often.—
Gene Ludwig,
Fortune,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While Marty Supreme is only loosely inspired by Reisman, there are several sequences and character details plucked from his life.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Jan. 2026
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Arsene Wenger was plucked from ‘Japan’, as Sir Alex Ferguson memorably enunciated it, in 1996.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Tuesday’s loss in Orlando stung a little more for the Miami Heat than the usual December loss during a long 82-game regular season.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
10 Dec. 2025
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But still, some losses have stung harder than others.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Cooper Flagg scored 27 points and matched a season high with three blocks, and Naji Marshall had three straight baskets down the stretch and finished with 22 points as the depleted Dallas Mavericks beat the Brooklyn Nets 113-105 on Monday night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
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Giusti led the National League with 30 saves in 1971, then added 10 2/3 scoreless innings in the playoffs as the Pirates beat San Francisco in the NL Championship Series and then the Baltimore Orioles in seven games in the World Series.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Brown ripped off his helmet in frustration and yelled more in Sirianni’s direction after the Eagles punted to end a drive.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
12 Jan. 2026
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Brown ripped off his helmet in frustration and yelled more in Sirianni's direction after the Eagles punted to end a drive.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But there is a primal scream stuck in our collective throat.—
Phil Morris The Minnesota Star Tribune,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
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Even after the pick-less Young trade, there does seem to be a pathway present for the Heat to restock with draft picks while, like the Hawks, continually stuck in play-in-ville.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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According to her bio on Cooley’s website, Hartnett serves as a trial and appellate advocate and has done work on a variety of issues including LGBTQ+ equality, civil rights and criminal justice.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
11 Jan. 2026
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Nevertheless, the McAlarneys admit that keeping their children away from smartphones and limiting technology is easier said than done, especially in today’s digital age.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shaken down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaken%20down. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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