as in cheating
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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Recent Examples of shaking down
This brainstorm is aimed at shaking down travel booking platforms.
—
Susan Shelley, Daily News, 13 May 2026
The city hired a second firm to represent Watts, as the city was legally responsible for covering legal judgments against him despite his federal prison sentence for shaking down a drug courier.
—Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
And that’s important, especially as players age, because teams like the Dolphins seize on shaking down injured, or underperforming talent.
—Miami Herald, 26 Dec. 2025
Susan Shelley, Daily News, 13 May 2026
The city hired a second firm to represent Watts, as the city was legally responsible for covering legal judgments against him despite his federal prison sentence for shaking down a drug courier.
—Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
And that’s important, especially as players age, because teams like the Dolphins seize on shaking down injured, or underperforming talent.
—Miami Herald, 26 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaking down
Verb
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For example, a spouse who catches their partner cheating and kills someone in the heat of emotion.—
Lorena O’Neil,
Rolling Stone,
17 June 2026
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Few colleges have developed an intellectual integrity curriculum that treats cheating as a habit and works to counter it over the four years of a student’s college education.—
Austin Sarat,
The Conversation,
17 June 2026
Verb
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County officials pointed to state budget cuts and a $276,000 drop in liquor revenue as factors squeezing finances.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
18 June 2026
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Grip the handles on the sides of the machine, tighten your core, and extend your legs, squeezing your quadriceps (top thigh muscles) at the top.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Former Kansas guard Kevin McCullar wore goggles in the New York Knicks locker room to protect his eyes from stinging during a champagne-spraying celebration after NY’s 94-90 NBA title-clinching victory over San Antonio on June 13 in Texas.—
Gary Bedore
June 22,
Kansas City Star,
22 June 2026
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Pets who have an encounter with stinging caterpillars will need a vet visit ASAP.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
22 June 2026
Verb
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As with the studio version, the track began with Lifeson plucking out a delicate intro on a nylon-string guitar before blasting into monster electric riffs.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
14 June 2026
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Vogue’s beauty shopping editor Kiana Murden became a devotee after plucking it from the beauty closet and using it religiously.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Letting go of the idea that success requires hustling at all costs — and replacing it with goals that feel attainable — can help founders shift toward a more sustainable approach, one where progress doesn't come at the cost of their well-being.—
Holly Eve,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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Sweeney’s character, Cassie Howard, ends the final episode still hustling, despite the violent death of her husband Nate (Jacob Elordi), the passing of her high school friend Rue (Zendaya), and the dismantling of her OnlyFans account.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
9 June 2026
Verb
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George Lopez and Joe Rogan are among those to accuse Mencia of ripping off their material, with Rogan and Mencia even once getting into a public confrontation over the matter.—
Derek Lawrence,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 June 2026
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Instead of ripping off his shirt, or wildly gesticulating, McTominay ran to the edge of the pitch with his hands facing down and his lips pursed.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
16 June 2026
Verb
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No other airline has plans to compete with the carrier, sticking instead to traditional one-stop gateways, like Dubai, Los Angeles, or Singapore.—
Edward Russell,
Travel + Leisure,
23 June 2026
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Those who cannot twerk usually fall back on sticking their tongues down each other’s throats, because this is Love Island, after all.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
Verb
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And while the titular ambulance chaser naturally holds court for six seasons (beating Breaking Bad by one), equally excellent turns by Jonathan Banks and Rhea Seehorn ensure this multi-award-winning series works as both the perfect prequel and a bingeable standalone drama.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 June 2026
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White won by a 2-point margin, beating Shaikh by just under 400 votes.—
Sophia Eppley,
AJC.com,
22 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shaking down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaking%20down. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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