1
as in jerked
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
the bus rattled and shook as it barreled down a rutted road
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in avoided
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery
we shook our pursuers by cutting through the abandoned lot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shook
A week after suffering a gut-punch loss to Nevada in Reno when two winning touchdowns were called back in the final moment and a tying field goal with seconds to play just missed, Sac State shook off early jitters to unleash a balanced offense in improving to 1-2.
—
Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Just three months ago, Israel and Iran fought a 12-day war that shook the Middle East.
—Ian Bremmer, Time, 14 Sep. 2025
Carini quit her Olympic bout against Khelif after just 46 seconds, as images of the Algerian's punches against Carini shook viewers across the world.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Chiles, waiting to speak in the back of the room, shook his head briefly and smirked.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
When looking back at the video, Smith noted that the camera attached to his cottage physically shook when the lightning hit the tree.
—Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Cali considered, then shook her head.
—Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
Quarterback Beckham Sharp shook off a 10-yard sack, finding Julias Garcia for 37 yards and Jason Guzman for 18 yards on consecutive plays for first-and-goal at the 6.
—Steve Dulas, Oc Register, 6 Sep. 2025
Sabalenka shook her head and slammed her arms by her side.
—Howard Fendrich, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Just three months ago, Israel and Iran fought a 12-day war that shook the Middle East.
—Ian Bremmer, Time, 14 Sep. 2025
Carini quit her Olympic bout against Khelif after just 46 seconds, as images of the Algerian's punches against Carini shook viewers across the world.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Chiles, waiting to speak in the back of the room, shook his head briefly and smirked.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
When looking back at the video, Smith noted that the camera attached to his cottage physically shook when the lightning hit the tree.
—Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Cali considered, then shook her head.
—Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
Quarterback Beckham Sharp shook off a 10-yard sack, finding Julias Garcia for 37 yards and Jason Guzman for 18 yards on consecutive plays for first-and-goal at the 6.
—Steve Dulas, Oc Register, 6 Sep. 2025
Sabalenka shook her head and slammed her arms by her side.
—Howard Fendrich, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shook
Verb
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The president starts out by making a visit to Liberty Arena to play basketball with some school children, then gets jerked away when the crisis happens.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
-
If Hall jerked too violently, let alone tried to run, the wire would pull the trigger, firing the shotgun Kiritsis had pointed at the back of Hall’s head.—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Notably, Miami midfielder Sergio Busquets avoided punishment after appearing to strike Vargas on the chin during the post-match melee.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
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During his March 2023 visit to Mariupol, Putin had avoided the theater.—
Yegor Mostovshikov,
The Dial,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For much of last season, Atletico appeared set to seriously compete on all fronts, but their season shuddered to a stop in March with a series of disappointing defeats by Barcelona and Madrid across La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Champions League.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
-
The van shuddered, shifted gear.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Large swaths of eastern Colorado have evaded the drought plaguing most of the state west of 25.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
10 Sep. 2025
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Weaponized stubbornness Scoring is a straightforward concept, but success in this realm evaded Florida Saturday night.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Having escaped disaster and gauged the full extent of American self-deterrence, Putin began putting pressure on Ukraine’s neighbors and suppliers.—
Robert Kagan,
The Atlantic,
10 Sep. 2025
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One snake got tear-gassed by police, then shot at five times, and still escaped—only to finally meet its match with a garden hoe (obviously).—
Popular Science Team,
Popular Science,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shook. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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