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, 22 Mar. 2026 Moderate shaking impacted 19,000 people near the temblor’s epicenter. —

Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026

Verb

Working with 1 cutlet at a time, dredge in flour mixture, shaking off excess, then dip in egg, letting excess drip back into bowl. —

Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026 Doncic yelled at the crowd and ran down court shaking his head. —

Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026 And trying to thread a needle to repair a sleeping bag when your hands are shaking with hypothermia? —

Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 19 Mar. 2026 According to the staff, the remote-control robot is programmed to dance, say hi and do hand movements like making a heart shape, a high-five or shaking hands. —

Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026 Parish met Mazzulla for the first time minutes later, shaking the coach’s hand as Mazzulla walked in for his pregame news conference. —

Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 18 Mar. 2026 Prager, shaking off sleep, wanted to blow right past with the rest of the non-commercial traffic. —

Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026 Christina Haack is shaking off the rumors and soaking up the sun. —

Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026 There is the interceptors overhead, there's the loud booms, hotel windows shaking and alerts going off on your phone at all hours of the day and night. —

CBS News, 15 Mar. 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