as in plucked
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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The landscapes feel plucked from an epic poem, and centuries of battles, folklore, and ancient clans set the tone for a vibrant culture steeped in history.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
12 Oct. 2025
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Tradition meets contemporary design with this sculptural vessel that looks like it was plucked from a contemporary art exhibition.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Freeman took rookie Chad Patrick deep for the first Dodgers run, and his teammates squeezed a second run out of Brewers closer Abner Uribe in the ninth.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
14 Oct. 2025
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The iPhone 17′s margin could also be squeezed by an unfavorable product mix and a higher bill of materials cost.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Last year’s finals loss stung because the Lynx came so close.—
Ben Pickman,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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Congressional Democrats feel stung by the mass layoffs and program cuts that followed the last stopgap spending deal in March.—
Ronald J. Hansen,
AZCentral.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Checkmate has done lots of covert ops spy nonsense in comics throughout the years, and notable works with Batman on occasion.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
11 Oct. 2025
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In the quarter millennium since, scholars and activists have in different ways done their damnedest to wipe the smirk off his face.—
Jane Kamensky,
The Atlantic,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Instead of slowly taking the ball out of the rim, the Celtics hustled to push the ball up court.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
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Without any additional hesitation, McMillian hustled over to the white backdrop to pose alongside Curry.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Sandy Baltimore beat opponent Maelle Garbino to almost every loose ball, presenting a constant threat on the left.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Furthermore, big banks — bellwethers for economic activity — such as JPMorgan Chase, Citi and Goldman Sachs, beat earnings expectations, suggesting that fundamentals are still sound.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the first photo, the blended family could be seen dressed in red and black as Kourtney stuck her tongue out and Landon and Alabama, 19, flipped off the camera.—
Kirsty Hatcher,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
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As birth rates slow and not enough people are being born to sustain growth, commercial real estate is also stuck in place, unable to meet modern needs.—
Amachie Ackah,
Fortune,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That sense of reiterating his faith and a fresh start were on display Sunday night as Brown registered his first two-touchdown game in four seasons to help the resurgent Chiefs beat visiting Detroit 30-17.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
13 Oct. 2025
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Ruff didn’t beat around the bush with that.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shaken down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaken%20down. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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