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
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as in bunk
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shakedown
Josh Dinner, Space.com, 17 July 2025
O’Brien’s predecessor George Cashman pled guilty to extortion, following a series of troubling incidents that included a grand jury investigation into shakedowns of producers on reportedly such films as The Cider House Rules and The Perfect Storm.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 10 July 2025
Brittany Shepherd, ABC News, 21 July 2025
And so, Frank and Dennis took to shaking down the populace after Frank sprang for two police uniforms, Dee beat the hell out of the unhoused masturbator, and Charlie seized upon his undercover Serpico cop role to attempt a series of stings on his fellow corrupt fake cops.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shakedown
Verb
Unfortunately, their shakedown cruise was a little too shaky.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 17 July 2025
O’Brien’s predecessor George Cashman pled guilty to extortion, following a series of troubling incidents that included a grand jury investigation into shakedowns of producers on reportedly such films as The Cider House Rules and The Perfect Storm.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 10 July 2025
Noun
Hunter tried to use references to his drug use to avoid accountability for his international shake down business.
—Brittany Shepherd, ABC News, 21 July 2025
And so, Frank and Dennis took to shaking down the populace after Frank sprang for two police uniforms, Dee beat the hell out of the unhoused masturbator, and Charlie seized upon his undercover Serpico cop role to attempt a series of stings on his fellow corrupt fake cops.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shakedown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shakedown
Verb
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Student use of artificial intelligence has become so prevalent, high school and college educators say, that to assign writing outside of the classroom is like asking students to cheat.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
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There are things worse than cheating.—
Essence,
Essence,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Wandering through the all-but-empty dormitories today, visitors see the spaces marked by the vertical support poles, which once housed nests of bunks.—
Don Sproul,
Oc Register,
9 Sep. 2025
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Deputies then transported him back to his cell, where he was placed on the lower bunk.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Most innovation comes in steps with trial and error.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The world of toners can be tricky to navigate, but this offering eliminates the need for trial and error.—
Tatayana Yomary,
Essence,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Researchers extracted location data from the photos to track the kids through satellites and reconnaissance.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
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The military could also adopt the MAV for reconnaissance missions.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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My sister looked up at me and ever so gently, with barely perceptible pressure, squeezed my hand.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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If real estate values turn soft in a region, the decline could squeeze a crucial revenue stream for cities, counties, regional agencies and school districts.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The hammock and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm were never really the point.—
Jessica Ewing
September 15,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
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While there are now a ton of hammock tents to choose from, most of them take the form of not much more than a covered hammock.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The American Culture Quiz is a weekly test of our unique national traits, trends, history and people, including current events and the sights and sounds of the United States.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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In a test setting, the fluid enabled a battery pack to be charged from 10% to 80% capacity in under ten minutes.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Authorities are giving an update on the search for Charlie Kirk’s assassin after detaining a suspect.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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The search for Kirk’s assassin entered its third day Friday, with officials releasing new still photos of the person of interest, along with video of the person fleeing the scene after the shooting.—
Filip Timotija,
The Hill,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shakedown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shakedown. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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