Thesaurus results for SHAKING DOWN

shaking down

verb

present participle of shake down

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

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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaking down

Verb

Rather than being the abusive, manipulative and ultimately homicidal husband that prosecutors alleged, Sabatini described Millete as a tragic figure who was being emotionally and psychologically abused and gaslit by his cheating wife.

— Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026
After getting caught cheating during a crew battle by using members from other gaming crews, I was blacklisted by the 3DS community for a couple of months.

— Kenneth Okeke, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 July 2026

Definition of cheating

Verb

Planning a Broadway show night in New York City means squeezing a full day into the blocks around Times Square, and the right pre-Broadway show itinerary can turn a two-hour ticket into a memorable outing.

— Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 13 July 2026
The result is a new generation of patients planning trips around treatments rather than squeezing appointments into an existing vacation.

— Meggen Harris, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026

Definition of squeezing

Verb

In the Mark Dolan Show interview and in a stinging essay for the Daily Mail, Griffiths accused the king’s son of making false allegations against her.

— Martha Ross, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
Significant stinging insect infestations like wasps and carpenter bees may also require a specialized plan that isn’t included in your general pest control service.

— Alora Bopray, USA Today, 1 July 2026

Definition of stinging

Verb

That rings especially true in the garden, where hands have dug through the earth for centuries, harvesting vegetables and plucking beautiful blossoms.

— Shagun Khare, Martha Stewart, 7 July 2026
There is no longer much question as to whether Platner is suitable for public office, and even less question as to whether plucking him from political obscurity made any sense.

— Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026

Definition of plucking

Verb

These slim-fit mid-rise joggers look perfect for hustling around a busy airport, but are also stylish enough to wear while sightseeing.

— Kaitlin Gates, Travel + Leisure, 10 July 2026
Langford was injured during Friday’s game after hustling on a double.

— Cal Phillips June 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 June 2026

Definition of hustling

Verb

Those straight-line winds can be incredibly destructive, ripping off roofs, snapping trees, knocking out power, and in stronger cases, reaching over 100 miles an hour.

— Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 12 July 2026
The small pockets of Egyptian fans in the stadium went absolutely berserk, jumping and ripping off their shirts as their team went bonkers below them.

— Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 7 July 2026

Definition of ripping off

Verb

Two days after the incident, a developer told the Wall Street Journal that the days of high-wire stunts—like pulling out cores and sticking extra floors on the roof—might belong to the past.

— D. T. Max, New Yorker, 11 July 2026
Perrineau is weary, if not quite as wrecked as the car sticking halfway out of the far wall.

— Josh Wigler, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026

Definition of sticking

Verb

New York investment bank Goldman Sachs and commercial banking giant Bank of America also posted strong second quarter results, both beating Wall Street expectations.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026
The trailer then cuts to Branagh’s Nikolai rescuing his new American friend and beating up a group of men in a restaurant.

— Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026

Definition of beating

Browse Nearby Words

shaking a leg

shaking down

shaking (off)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Shaking down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaking%20down. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of shaking down

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

loquacious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes