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
Her plea will spare a lengthy discovery period and likely mark the legal denouement of a federal probe that shook Sacramento after the FBI recorded dozens of lobbyists in the summer of 2024 as part of the investigation.
—
Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026
The writer-director sets her sophomore feature barely two years after the country shook off the despot’s iron grip.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Kouri Richins appeared shocked, shook her head and leaned over to speak with her lawyers multiple times as the statements were read.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 13 May 2026
After the loss to the Thunder, James shook hands with All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Alex Caruso and Lou Dort before walking off the court.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Their legs trembled beneath them, their hands and heads shook with anxiety, and at times Snow, in tears, curled into the arms of friends and loved ones.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Their struggles are why Buster Posey shook things up by calling up Bryce Eldridge and Jesus Rodriguez.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
Eventually, the Thunder shook off the rust from an eight-day break and went up 31-26 at the end of the first quarter, despite 12 points from James.
—CBS News, 5 May 2026
Some tried to help the former NBA star up to his feet while the video shook in the chaos, and several people could be heard shouting for help.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 5 May 2026
Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026
The writer-director sets her sophomore feature barely two years after the country shook off the despot’s iron grip.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Kouri Richins appeared shocked, shook her head and leaned over to speak with her lawyers multiple times as the statements were read.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 13 May 2026
After the loss to the Thunder, James shook hands with All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Alex Caruso and Lou Dort before walking off the court.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Their legs trembled beneath them, their hands and heads shook with anxiety, and at times Snow, in tears, curled into the arms of friends and loved ones.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Their struggles are why Buster Posey shook things up by calling up Bryce Eldridge and Jesus Rodriguez.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
Eventually, the Thunder shook off the rust from an eight-day break and went up 31-26 at the end of the first quarter, despite 12 points from James.
—CBS News, 5 May 2026
Some tried to help the former NBA star up to his feet while the video shook in the chaos, and several people could be heard shouting for help.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 5 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shook
Verb
-
John jerked Maggie back by the elbow and stopped her from stepping into the street.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
-
My empty paper bowl jerked along the belt, stopping under each funnel.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Whether the Michael sequel will come to fruition and cover any of this uncharted territory—or flash back to territory that was avoided in the first film, like the entirety of The Wiz—is heretofore unknown.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
12 May 2026
-
Schwarzenegger’s strategy energized Californians who wanted to punish incumbent Democrats, but avoided scaring too many of the state’s median voters.—
Conor Friedersdorf,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The way the stadium shuddered with noise.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
At least the elevator still creaked and shuddered, as in the old days, finally trembling open on the eighth floor.—
Rick Bragg,
Southern Living,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Ilango had successfully evaded the decades-old impossibility result.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
11 May 2026
-
The Knicks have found the very consistency that’s evaded them in the past.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
11 May 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
-
Stray bits of hair escaped my ponytail and stung my eyes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
The injured duckling was treated at a veterinary clinic while the other ducklings escaped the area with the mother duck.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The pilot of a helicopter that crashed on a sightseeing flight off the Hawaiian island of Kauai last month, killing three passengers, told investigators that the aircraft vibrated and spun before plunging into the water, according to report released Friday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The envelope all but vibrated in her hands.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shook. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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