as in squeezes
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shakes down
Later, Tom pours vodka into a Phillies cup and watches birds flutter by at night while Robbie gets his guns ready and shakes down a trap house.
—
Grace Byron, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025
Grace Byron, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shakes down
Verb
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As Arizona squeezes more money from its decreasing share of river water, freighting every drop with critical industries and a booming housing market, the price of water is bound to keep climbing.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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The country’s geography squeezes a wild variety into a tight map.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Blashill wants the Blackhawks to be a fast-pressure team at both ends of the rink, one that attacks vertically but never cheats for offense.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Even though the defeat stings, all the Hurricanes’ goals are still there for the taking.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
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But for Hovland, the lingering frustration of missing Sunday singles and watching Harris English sit out for no fault of his own still stings.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The dog jumps up and plucks the burger from her—a move that left viewers stunned and amused by the canine's flawless execution.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
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There may be even greater reasons to put an ad that plucks the heartstrings in front of a broader crowd.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Outerlands stars Dillon as thirtysomething Cass, who hustles jobs as a server, nanny and party drug dealer to make rent on their tiny San Francisco apartment.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
31 Oct. 2025
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While everyone else hustles about, the sloth knows that in slowness there is safety and success.—
Kate Siber,
Outside,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When the cooler months roll around, nothing beats the hearty flavors of this classic combination.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
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Snap beats revenue expectations and lifts guidance.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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With off-putting brusqueness, the acupuncturist sticks needles into my head and left leg, leaves the room—and appears to forget all about me.—
Lucinda Rosenfeld,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
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Robbie and Jayson have a furious battle, but Jayson sticks the fatal knife stab before fleeing.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Manow does a bump of K on the table to relax while Clateman shows me a high-tech nicotine vape that displays music videos and also rates the intensity of your hits with a numerical score.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
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The point of Generative AI is the tech does the bulk of the work on its own.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shakes down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shakes%20down. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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