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

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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 down On Thursday, Diamantis will be sentenced for crimes associated with shaking down contractors on four school building projects in three municipalities — Hartford, New Britain and and Tolland. — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 14 Sep. 2026 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
  1. cheating
  2. squeezing
  3. stinging
  4. plucking
  5. hustling
  6. ripping off
  7. sticking
  8. beating
Verb
  • The company remains one of the world’s largest automakers and carries the legacy of Dieselgate, the emissions-cheating scandal that cost it billions of dollars in fines, settlements and other penalties.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • At the same time, as families pour more resources into preparing young people for the exams, frequent cheating scandals and test cancellations can make their investment moot.
    — Aakash Hassan, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of cheating
Verb
  • Marris was aghast, squeezing the sides of her phone to capture what was on the screen.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The level of boredom Pugh brought to Kate making her older client orgasm by squeezing his nipples really sold her approach to the work.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of squeezing
Verb
  • As of today, with that $7 million ticking fee to WBD shareholders kicking in October 1 and Ellison’s leaked threat to pull up HQ stakes outta the Golden State still stinging, the deal still sits in legal limbo.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
  • And in the Northwest, unseasonably warm temperatures combined with drier fall conditions may extend ant and stinging insect activity.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of stinging
Verb
  • LLMs are great at finding blowups that exist—at searching the infinite landscape of fluid scenarios and plucking out the precise situation that breaks the equations.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Fortunately, many dahlia insect problems in September can be solved by walking through the garden in the morning and plucking the offending insects off the plants by hand, then dropping them into a container of soapy water.
    — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of plucking
Verb
  • Besides Instagram hustling and scouring job boards, entrepreneurial editors find gigs when creators call out for help.
    — Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Devers, who finished with three hits, eschewed his power for small ball in the fifth, laying down a surprise bunt for a single, then hustling home on Susac’s sacrifice fly.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 31 July 2026
Definition of hustling
Verb
  • The offense mostly held up their end of the bargain, racking up 446 yards and ripping off several explosive plays.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • There’s also been online chatter leaning toward the antisemitic (Lefty is Jewish), and other comments painting her as a thieving mastermind knowingly ripping off songs.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of ripping off
Verb
  • By sticking her neck out and opening up a very touchy subject for examination, Hannah-Jones has done much more to advance the cause of public education than most of her detractors will give her credit for.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026
  • In fact, one of Lamper’s most viral videos shows Finn sticking his arm inside an automatic feeder to get extra food.
    — Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of sticking
Verb
  • Shiffrin also won the crystal globe in the slalom by beating Camille Rast of Switzerland.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Santa Ana officials were investigating Monday after a video circulating on social media appeared to show two police officers throwing a suspect to the ground and beating him.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of beating

Browse Nearby Words

shaking a leg
shaking down
shaking (off)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shaking down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaking%20down. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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