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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 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
-
This liner then rapidly squeezes a magnetized target, creating the intense heat and pressure needed for fusion to occur, the same process that powers the sun.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Keeping tires properly inflated not only extends their life but also squeezes more miles out of every charge—a win for the wallet and the planet.—
Melanie Marshall,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Still, losing out on more seasons of Zoë Kravitz playing a lovably bisexual mess navigating New York City particularly stings.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The right to due process is enshrined in both the federal and Massachusetts Constitutions, so any accusation otherwise stings.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Jackson hustles to his seat in the audience, dead center, behind the main cameras as the chat begins.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The costume department hustles to reattach a limping sole as the star breathes through the heat.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
On that front, scale beats rhetoric and right now, China has both.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Or Miami wins, but Georgia Tech only loses one or two conferences games, then beats Georgia, in which case the ’Canes and Jackets might both get in.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Inside the furnace, a reaction takes place that rips the oxygen from the silica and sticks it to the carbon from the wood.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
22 Sep. 2025
-
That sticks closely to the recommendations of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Or are those simply screws Vrabel’s staff will tighten with more time and practice?—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
He's involved in everything the Journal Sentinel does online — both our website and our social media platforms, like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Facebook.—
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
What time does 'Life of a Showgirl' drop?—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shakes down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shakes%20down. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share