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
Natisha Hiedeman shook off a slow start to score 16 points for Seattle (3-11), which has lost seven straight games.
—
Daily News, 11 June 2026
Swift just gave Ben Stiller a hug and shook hands with some fans.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 11 June 2026
Lamont showed up, shook some hands, and let someone take his picture.
—Heather Merrick, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2026
The East Ridge rookie shook his man behind the net, battled through converging players to curl out front and scored at the far post.
—Tris Wykes, Twin Cities, 9 June 2026
As Srebnick addressed the jury, Pino closed his eyes, as if crying, and shook his head.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 9 June 2026
McAfee shook the hand of a young man who was wearing a sideways cap.
—Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 9 June 2026
Smith, who was in the courtroom, shook her attorney's hand after North Carolina District Judge Scott Skidmore dismissed the case, according to the newspaper.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
Flavia Pupo, a manager at the Pinar del Rio hotel in western Cuba, described how the building shook and caused some fear.
—ABC News, 8 June 2026
Daily News, 11 June 2026
Swift just gave Ben Stiller a hug and shook hands with some fans.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 11 June 2026
Lamont showed up, shook some hands, and let someone take his picture.
—Heather Merrick, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2026
The East Ridge rookie shook his man behind the net, battled through converging players to curl out front and scored at the far post.
—Tris Wykes, Twin Cities, 9 June 2026
As Srebnick addressed the jury, Pino closed his eyes, as if crying, and shook his head.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 9 June 2026
McAfee shook the hand of a young man who was wearing a sideways cap.
—Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 9 June 2026
Smith, who was in the courtroom, shook her attorney's hand after North Carolina District Judge Scott Skidmore dismissed the case, according to the newspaper.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
Flavia Pupo, a manager at the Pinar del Rio hotel in western Cuba, described how the building shook and caused some fear.
—ABC News, 8 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shook
Verb
-
In the summer of 2020, former Morgan Stanley trader Adam Crawley was wandering through Indonesia, Thailand and Australia, perfecting his qigong with a man called Master YanG, when a cold message on LinkedIn jerked him back to reality.—
Phoebe Liu,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
John jerked Maggie back by the elbow and stopped her from stepping into the street.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama avoided adding a third flagrant point to his postseason total.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
-
While the city avoided laying off a number of its already lean staff — which neighbors like San Francisco have had to reckon with — the city’s financial troubles are far from over.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
10 June 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
-
Johnson evaded questions Friday afternoon from reporters who tried to talk to him about the Bears situation at an event at the Chicago Cultural Center honoring the city’s Puerto Rican community.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
-
Earlier this month, Swift's long-time collaborator and friend Jack Antonoff carefully evaded questions about his attendance.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Within minutes, revellers were gasping for breath; their nostrils quivered, their lips turned blue.—
Taran Dugal,
New Yorker,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
Junior Grace Simmons escaped an early jam to set the tone for a low-scoring complete game from the circle, and Aniyah Bailey had a birthday to remember by anchoring the team’s contagious offensive showing with two doubles and five RBI in a 3-for-4 day.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
11 June 2026
-
In 2025, Mycoworks shuttered its South Carolina biomanufacturing plant, announcing a pivot to processing cheaper third-party mycelium instead of cultivating it themselves, and Natural Fiber Welding narrowly escaped bankruptcy, adding to the sense of an ending.—
Bella Webb,
Vogue,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
THe morning after Louisiana’s House primaries were scheduled to take place, worshippers at Mount Zion First Baptist Church in Baton Rouge were on their feet, swaying to the gospel music that vibrated through the wooden pews.—
Yvonne Wingett Sanchez,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Shook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shook. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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