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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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
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Every town has its nostalgic spots—ice cream shops, deli counters, old-school diners—that seem to have cheated time.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The Panthers squeezed a few end-of-career seasons out of guys such as Dino Ciccarelli and Igor Larionov.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Steamer or Iron When squeezed into a small suitcase, clothes have a tendency to wrinkle.—
Abbey Hudetz,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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An all-star cast plucked from different corners of the pop culture firmament leads Ryan Murphy's All's Fair, a Hulu legal drama about female divorce attorneys who open their own practice.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Nov. 2025
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Such is life in Marthaland, where homemaking tasks are plucked from the realm of everyday drudgery and elevated to a pure pursuit of excellence.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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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Yet Tapestry—the parent company of Coach—said Gen Z now accounts for roughly 35% of its new customers, helping the brand beat Wall Street expectations and raise its full-year forecast.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
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The ensuing 2022-23 season saw Rayo beat both Barca and Madrid when Spain’s big two came to their crumbling Estadio Vallecas.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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With the Horned Frogs leading 17-6, Becht ripped off a 25-yard gain to get the Cyclones in TCU territory.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Nov. 2025
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Aerial footage showed the destruction wrought by the twister, with roofs ripped off buildings, some of them reduced to rubble.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
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 12 Jan. 2026.
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