shake out 1 of 2

verb

Definition of shake outnext
as in to prove
to come to be after hearing about all the elaborate planning, I can't wait to see how that wedding shakes out

Synonyms & Similar Words

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shakeout

2 of 2

noun

as in shake-up

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shake out
Verb
There are certainly going to be times in games (when) that will happen, depending on how things shake out a little bit. — Michael Russo, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 The two men are similar, Jordan almost a mirror image of who Eddy could’ve become had things shook out differently. — Tembe Denton-Hurst, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
However, the industry recently faced a significant shakeout, with many firms collapsing amid platform crackdowns. — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 The industry has weathered a brutal shakeout, with major operators merging, downsizing or shutting down entirely. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for shake out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake out
  1. prove
  2. shake-up
  3. fall out
  4. shutdown
  5. closing
  6. downsizing
Verb
  • Finding people at high risk of incubating the Bundibugyo virus, also known as contact tracing, has proved difficult in Congo.
    — CONSTANT SAME BAGALWA, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Finding people at high risk of incubating the Bundibugyo virus — also known as contact tracing — has proved difficult in Congo.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of prove
Noun
  • Hours after Apple unveiled the biggest shake-up to its iPhone release cadence in seven years — including its first foldable phone — Samsung rolled out a campaign aimed squarely at iPhone loyalists.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The development provokes a leadership shake-up on both committees, prompting speculation on who will fill the spots when the next Congress opens in January.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of shake-up
Verb
  • Court dances fell out of fashion as monarchs fell from power.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Maryna Lystopad, 35, said her hair has started falling out due to the stress from escalating attacks and never knowing where the next attack will hit.
    — Susie Blann, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of fall out
Noun
  • Hohns kept his capital investments minimal, fearing a shutdown.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • In my experience, many corporate teams drift between sympathetic over-activation (burnout) and dorsal shutdown (disengagement).
    — Roy Ward, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of shutdown
Noun
  • The council also plans to hold special public hearings, to find out how the Academy got to the point of closing, and what possible solutions might look like.
    — Andrew Stelzer, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
  • See fans’ reactions and more details of the closing in my recent story.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of closing
Noun
  • That can include a homeowner using proceeds from the sale of another property, a retiree downsizing, an individual investor, a landlord, a developer or a company that purchases homes directly from owners.
    — Ascend Agency, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • But with the move in 1973 to an all-volunteer force and the subsequent downsizing of the armed services, less than 1% of the population now actively serves.
    — Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of downsizing

Browse Nearby Words

shake (off)
shake out
shakeout
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shake out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake%20out. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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