as in to cheat
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
Relevance
1
as in bunk
Related Words
2
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 shake down
David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
But in years past, many cases reviewed by CNN involved scam artists who sought to shake down immigrants for cash under threat of deportation.
—Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026
Notably, these shakedown attempts come more than 15 years after Michael’s death, thus carrying no risk of being sued for defamation.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shake down
Verb
Julian dispatches Ares and his deputy, Athena (an imperious Jodie Turner-Smith), to the physical world, ordering them to shake down Eve for information about Flynn’s code.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
But in years past, many cases reviewed by CNN involved scam artists who sought to shake down immigrants for cash under threat of deportation.
—Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
The team had its initial shakedown at Silverstone in January, then participated in F1’s official preseason testing in Barcelona and Bahrain.
—ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026
Notably, these shakedown attempts come more than 15 years after Michael’s death, thus carrying no risk of being sued for defamation.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shake down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake down
Verb
-
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported on the cheating epidemic that has overtaken schools and universities as students outsource their assignments to a chat bot.—
Peter Smagorinsky,
AJC.com,
30 Mar. 2026
-
An angler competing in a walleye derby on Saskatchewan’s Montreal Lake was kicked out of the ice-fishing tournament Saturday after being accused of cheating.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Participants can also select traditional, all-male or all-female bunk-style cabins or upgrade to their own private room or cabin.—
Robin Roenker,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Ramos was found unresponsive in his bunk by Adelanto security staff on March 25.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Some cities may cancel their tests if storms are nearby.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Ames said her family left their home right after the tests and lived with extended family for two months while their house was remediated.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Drones take on expanding roles across modern battlefields Uncrewed systems are playing a growing role in modern warfare, handling missions from reconnaissance and artillery spotting to precision strikes.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Mar. 2026
-
That was the largest naval-convoy endeavor since the Second World War, and included aircraft carriers and reconnaissance planes.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
House rebels view the attempt to squeeze the SAVE America Act into reconciliation, a restrictive budget process that requires all language to have a direct fiscal impact, as capitulation and want to see the entire bill, including its mandates on voter ID and proof of citizenship, signed into law.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Priced at just £600, the 13-inch Neo squeezes many of the MacBook Air’s best features into a device that is far more affordable.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The outdoor area shines with a small pool, roof deck, and hammock.—
Madeline Weinfield,
Architectural Digest,
25 Mar. 2026
-
When compared to other free-hanging wilderness shelters, there are lighter hammock systems out there, but unlike the typical two-point setup of a hammock, each Tentstile tent uses a triangular three-strap setup to create a flatter, stabler floor.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The stadium will be ready; as close to 100% as a new stadium can be without rehearsals.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
-
This has been part of the design process, and this has been part of the rehearsal process with the actors.—
Joe Lynch,
Billboard,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Her journey takes her to the soirées of Regency London and the peaks and vales of the Lake District, all in search of independence, self-love and reinvention.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Apr. 2026
-
House Speaker Mike Johnson also expressed concerns with the Justice Department's tracking of lawmakers' search history of the unredacted files.—
Alexandra Hutzler,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shake down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake%20down. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
