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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaking down
Verb
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But things got particularly ugly in the most recent reunion episode, in which Adriana de Moura not only leaned on lesbophobic and biphobic rhetoric, but also claimed that Julia Lemigova (who is famously married to renowned TERF Martina Navratilova) has been cheating for years.—
James Factora,
Them.,
10 Oct. 2025 -
Then de Moura decided to drop a few bombshells of her own, accusing her former bestie of not just cheating with her but with two men.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Record high inflation and a weak yen are also squeezing households and driving up living costs.—
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
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All the while, overall streaming growth has slowed in recent years, squeezing artists’ margins even further.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The production was plagued by hurricanes, tsunami warnings, stinging jellyfish and several injuries — including Costner, who almost died while riding out a storm stranded atop a mast after his safety line had snapped.—
Peter Kiefer,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Oct. 2025
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Andreas Helmersen hit the bar while Patrick Berg’s stinging effort was saved by Guglielmo Vicario.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When not plucking away at a keyboard, Madison teaches yoga and mountain bikes with her two Australian shepherds, Cholla and Poppy, through Missoula's Rattlesnake Wilderness.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
6 Oct. 2025
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Simply plucking young stars from viewers’ social-media feeds won’t radically alter or refresh SNL.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Viral videos captured federal officers arresting people and hustling them into unmarked vehicles.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
5 Oct. 2025
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Instead of hustling for one-day bookings, Patel engineered a system where one client often meant three to five events—maximizing return and loyalty.—
Sindhya Valloppillil,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Barkley played against the Giants only once last season, ripping off 176 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries in an easy 28-3 win.—
Dan Duggan,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
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Even when Osborne dips into country or wraps with a hint of reggae, its songs rip – if only in the sense of ripping off a Band-Aid.—
Joe Lynch,
Billboard,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Instead of sticking the boot into military homophobia, the show initially seems determined to tiptoe around it.—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
10 Oct. 2025
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Lou was looking pretty rough too, with cuts, bruises, and branches with leaves still attached sticking from his shirt and pack.—
Derek Horner,
Outdoor Life,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Oh, 6-0 Georgia Tech’s right on the cusp of the bracket (after beating 2-5 Virginia Tech 35-20)?—
Alex Kirshner,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
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With a make on the second, Duke won by five, miraculously beating the spread of 4 1/2, per Andrew’s telling.—
Paul Solotaroff,
Rolling Stone,
12 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Shaking down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaking%20down. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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