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
The Palace centre-back shook off Leny Yoro as the ball was delivered into the box before heading past Senne Lammens.
—
Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The earthquake shook at a depth of 8 miles, with its epicenter approximately 4 miles east-northeast of Calexico.
—Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 4 Mar. 2026
Even longtime fans were shook right down to their dirty boots.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2026
For the Pata family, the wait for justice continues — nearly 20 years after the killing that shook the University of Miami football program and the South Florida community.
—Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
Crowds of hundreds with their heads lowered bawled loudly in unison; others fell to the ground and shook in their grief.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
In the hours after explosions first shook Tehran on Saturday, Iranian state media declared the strait closed.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026
Post the performance, the humanoid shook hands with Honor CEO James Li, and also performed a clean backflip that landed flawlessly, leaving the viewers amazed, meeting a ripple of applause across the room.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Mar. 2026
Emma shook her head and busied herself with picking up her waders.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The earthquake shook at a depth of 8 miles, with its epicenter approximately 4 miles east-northeast of Calexico.
—Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 4 Mar. 2026
Even longtime fans were shook right down to their dirty boots.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2026
For the Pata family, the wait for justice continues — nearly 20 years after the killing that shook the University of Miami football program and the South Florida community.
—Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
Crowds of hundreds with their heads lowered bawled loudly in unison; others fell to the ground and shook in their grief.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
In the hours after explosions first shook Tehran on Saturday, Iranian state media declared the strait closed.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026
Post the performance, the humanoid shook hands with Honor CEO James Li, and also performed a clean backflip that landed flawlessly, leaving the viewers amazed, meeting a ripple of applause across the room.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Mar. 2026
Emma shook her head and busied herself with picking up her waders.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shook
Verb
-
Aisha jerked and opened her eyes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The two stood nose-to-nose on the field when the Steelers player grabbed onto Chase’s facemask, jerked his head and appeared to punch him.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
16 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Since then, the couple have avoided cooking steamy dishes.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
There is no expectation to make a profit from the rental market and back-to-back bookings are avoided to ensure the house and staff operate at their best.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Later, when Tristan gently put his hand on Marke’s shoulder, the king shuddered.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
People shuddered at the sight of it, or groaned, or covered their eyes.—
Sam Kriss,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Lewandowski evaded this ban by taking a role as a special government employee, limited by law to working no more than 130 days a year for the federal government.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
5 Mar. 2026
-
While most of Iran’s missiles and drones have been intercepted, six US service members were killed when an Iranian projectile evaded air defenses and struck a makeshift operations center at Kuwait’s Shuaiba port on Sunday.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For a moment, the plane quivered around them like a greyhound straining on a leash.—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
See how the horny hockey show escaped the criticism and did what its contemporaries cannot.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Ejecta thrown up by the impact would mostly have rained back down onto the surface of the moon, but millions of pounds of debris would have still escaped the lunar gravity and fallen towards Earth instead, possibly creating a unique meteor shower lasting a few days.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The roar of the crowds gathered at the base of the 101-story building still echoed in his ears, and the thrill of scaling its ten abstract metal dragons vibrated through his body.—
Outside,
Outside,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Even the bathrooms down the hall vibrated with rhythm.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Vogue,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shook. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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