shook down

verb

past tense of shake down
as in plucked
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 shook down Bernthal played the real-life Baltimore policeman Wayne Jenkins, who led a crew of officers who shook down people for cash and drugs. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shook down
  1. plucked
  2. cheated
  3. squeezed
  4. stung
  5. hustled
  6. stuck
  7. beat
  8. screwed
Verb
  • Woodard went undrafted out of UNLV in 2025, and the Dolphins plucked him off the Texans’ practice squad in mid-December.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
  • If the Panthers didn’t want him, in other words, he’d probably be plucked off the waiver wire by someone else.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of plucked
Verb
  • Child safety advocates and some parents have welcomed age restrictions, while privacy groups say the rules can be cheated and that forcing users to supply identification raises privacy concerns.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Not to be cheated in front of the largest assembly of Hall of Famers since the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, Schwarber flew out twice to deep center field.
    — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheated
Verb
  • Breakfast is at Fritz & Felix, lunch is squeezed into the Wintergarten conservatory, and dinner is either ordered to my room or eaten dressed up in the restaurants.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Consumers show signs of strain Recent data indicate that some consumers' budgets are being squeezed.
    — Lorie Konish, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeezed
Verb
  • Several clubs have been stung by excessive ventures into external markets in recent years, most notably Tottenham in Italy and Manchester United’s mistakes in the Dutch league under Erik ten Hag.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Spray the nest from a distance to reduce the chances of being stung.
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of stung
Verb
  • Two of the men quickly hopped up and hustled down the sidewalk, while the third sat for a second before replacing the manhole cover, and walked away, the video shows.
    — John Annese, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Hate crime charges have been filed against a man who disrupted Shabbat services in Manhattan's Central Synagogue and struck two people while being hustled outside Friday night.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of hustled
Verb
  • Investors are wondering if the rally could mark a turning point for bitcoin, whose price has been stuck in a prolonged slump since October, ahead of a seasonally bullish period for the coin.
    — Tanaya Macheel, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026
  • For the past few years, Florida’s housing market has been stuck in a strange kind of standoff.
    — Justin Onorato, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of stuck
Verb
  • The last time two American women played in the Cincinnati final was in 1970, when Rosie Casals beat Nancy Richey.
    — Jeff Wallner, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026
  • A day earlier, the Buccaneers had beaten the Panthers in their final game of the regular season, only to witness Carolina claim the NFC South anyway.
    — Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of beat
Verb
  • The hardest physical part was actually taking down the old blinds, which had been screwed tightly into the window frame years prior.
    — Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But the war needs to end because every day that the war continues, America gets weaker, Iran gets stronger, and people here in the United States get screwed, as prices go up, and up and up.
    — NBC news, NBC news, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of screwed

Browse Nearby Words

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

Cite this Entry

“Shook down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shook%20down. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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