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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shaking down
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
Miami Herald, 26 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaking down
Verb
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He has not been formally charged with cheating by World Curling, which does not use video to review game play.—
STEVE DOUGLAS,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
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Canada's curling team has fired back at Sweden after the Swedes accused the Canadians of cheating at the Winter Olympics.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The fall was aided by the cooling prices of gasoline, eggs, and beef, but rising costs for consumer goods like apparel, computers, and airfares suggest tariffs are still squeezing household budgets.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
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Instead, 2026 is about building both stylish and sensible outfits that can take you from the airport to the streets with maximum versatility without ever squeezing into tight, form-fitting fabric.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The surrender also included a stinging lesson in the nuances of diplomacy.—
Christopher Magra,
The Conversation,
10 Feb. 2026
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Seattle fans are hoping to erase the stinging memory of Super Bowl 49 – when the Seahawks famously decided not to run from the 1-yard line and saw Malcolm Butler intercept Russell Wilson to seal a 28-24 Patriots win.—
Jacob Camenker,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Broten remembers Pavelich plucking his guitar and singing Neil Young songs on bus rides.—
Stephen Whyno,
Twin Cities,
10 Feb. 2026
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According to its website, Butcher & Singer is an homage to the glitz and class of 1940s Hollywood, reaching into the past, plucking the best and brightest aspects of a bygone era.—
Courtney Cherry,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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If out of work, hustling this week and next could open doors.—
Kyle Thomas,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
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Students were hustling around campus, coming and going on the penultimate Saturday of the semester.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
15 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Tougher still was standing in the fairway on the par-5 18th, the cold Pacific air ripping off the ocean to his left, and having to wait some 20 minutes as Jacob Bridgeman had to figure out how to play off the beach only for his shot to go into the ocean.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Feb. 2026
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Federal officials unveiled a slew of charges Tuesday against two Coloradans accused of ripping off a program that provides free rides to Medicaid patients, the first criminal charges filed in response to a sprawling fraud bonanza identified by state officials more than two years ago.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The coating forms a rough texture that prevents liquids from sticking.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026
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Velzeboer passed Sarault with three laps to go and held off challenges, sticking her right skate over the line and raising both arms aloft.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Scottie Barnes won the opening 12-minute game for the Stars with a game-ending 3-pointer in overtime, beating the World 37-36 after Edwards forced OT.—
Greg Beacham,
Twin Cities,
16 Feb. 2026
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Shooting and beating American citizens in the streets, demolishing history, covering up obvious crimes, threatening our allies, targeting political adversaries and using the office for personal enrichment are just a few things that have occurred and gone unchecked by powers that control Congress.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shaking down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaking%20down. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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