SHAKING Synonyms: 144 Similar and Opposite Words

shaking 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of shaking next

as in trembling

marked by or given to small uncontrollable bodily movements suffered a shaking chill during his bout with the flu

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shaking

2 of 3

noun

as in twitching

a series of slight movements by a body back and forth or from side to side gave the bottle of salad dressing a good shaking

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as in escape

the act or a means of getting or keeping away from something undesirable condemned the government's shaking of its overseas responsibilities

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shaking

3 of 3

verb

present participle of shake

as in jerking

to make a series of small irregular or violent movements the bus rattled and shook as it barreled down a rutted road

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as in avoiding

to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery we shook our pursuers by cutting through the abandoned lot

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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 shaking

Noun

Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches. —

Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 28 Feb. 2026

Verb

Like all melodramatists, Hong deals in coincidence and magnifies casual connections and minor accidents into life-shaking events. —

Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026 Other causes included multiple injuries, gunshot wounds, suffocation, burns and shaking. —

Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026 While the products aren’t a one-for-one comparison — browsers have their own set of complexities — Computer is a testament to a new sense of ease that AI has brought to building products and to the breakneck speed of development shaking the industries and the AI companies themselves. —

Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 27 Feb. 2026 On April 7, 2025, the dog allegedly had shaking episodes. —

Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 27 Feb. 2026 Toast ½ cup coarsely chopped salted, roasted almonds or cashews in a small saucepan over medium-low, shaking pan often, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. —

Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Feb. 2026 Her rambling answer includes several deep breaths and a pause that has Mike’s mom shaking her head. —

Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 25 Feb. 2026 After shaking off the flu, Arenas didn’t make his first bucket until almost midway through the second half. —

Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026 Cameras showed audience members nodding along, shaking their shoulders and otherwise getting into the music. —

Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 22 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaking

Noun

Its strength ranges from mild, causing little more discomfort than a slight trembling, to severe, in which passengers or flight crew can be thrown around the cabin and risk injury if not wearing seatbelts.

— Cat Rainsford, Popular Science, 15 Jan. 2026
There’s Walter’s serene cello and Marjorie’s pensive, slightly coy violin, sometimes playful or petulant or, still, a little vain and secretive — other times thin and trembling, lost in the haze of dementia.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2025