1
as in to shudder
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
Relevance
2
as in to avoid
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
1
as in minute
a very small space of time
I'll be there in two shakes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shivers
shakes plural
a sense of panic or extreme nervousness
I get the shakes every time I hear her voice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in quake
a shaking of the earth
the shake was a modest 3.1 on the Richter scale
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shake
Marc Lester, Baltimore Sun, 22 Apr. 2025
The experience of entering battle knowing that men under his command will likely die shook his faith.
—Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Apr. 2025
Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 24 Mar. 2025
Another has been figuring out how best to protect the buildings' historic but extremely flammable shingles, also known as shakes.
—Chloe Veltman, NPR, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake
Verb
Confidence in core institutions is badly shaken, and many Americans are eager for leaders who can restore stability and uphold fundamental rights.
—Marc Lester, Baltimore Sun, 22 Apr. 2025
The experience of entering battle knowing that men under his command will likely die shook his faith.
—Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
Of course, not every shake could crack the top five—but that doesn’t mean the rest were a bust.
—Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 24 Mar. 2025
Another has been figuring out how best to protect the buildings' historic but extremely flammable shingles, also known as shakes.
—Chloe Veltman, NPR, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake
Verb
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Old Thunderbird shuddered under the force of the impact and then fell over onto his side.—
Thomas Weddle,
Outdoor Life,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Brides-to-be who lived through the early aughts may understandably shudder at the thought.—
Shelby Wax,
Vogue,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Get to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building and avoid windows.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Houston threw numbers behind the ball for most of the game to avoid getting hit by the deadly counterattacks and transitions KC has been known for.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
20 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The defense's case to spare Mahdi's life before a judge lasted only about 30 minutes.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2025
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What’s the statistic there, the average ER physician has to see a patient every three to four minutes?—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Myanmar’s quake is as close to a no-show as the nation has had in recent memory at a major, accessible natural disaster.—
Ellen Knickmeyer and David Rising,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2025
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The quake struck at 9:23 p.m. about five miles south-southeast of the city in San Benito County, the USGS reported.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This apparently spooked an SUV driver in the next lane, who jerked the wheel to the left and ran into the opposite curb.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 Mar. 2025
-
How to jerk off Jerking off, also known as jacking off, is another technique that can be helpful in your arsenal of self-pleasure.—
Quispe López,
Them,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Security scrutinized: Suspect eluded officers protecting Shapiro Balmer started fires while troopers searched Troopers were able to safely evacuate Shapiro's family and others in the mansion, but the fire raises the question of how Balmer was able to evade security.—
John Bacon,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Most of these are fine goals, and some (such as finally terminating the university’s efforts to evade a Supreme Court–ordered end to its use of race discrimination in admissions) ought to be uncontroversial.—
The Editors,
National Review,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The miniature pacemaker is composed of two electrodes that, when in contact with the body’s fluids, form a type of battery called a galvanic cell, which converts chemical energy into electrical energy used to stimulate the heartbeat.—
Margherita Bassi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
4 Apr. 2025
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There’s a foot-stomping grin of a heartbeat to John’s piano riffs, too, content but happy.—
Shana Naomi Krochmal,
Vulture,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Shocked by this week’s earthquake, zoo elephants formed an ‘alert circle’ to protect their young at San Diego Zoo Get ready for the L.A. Times Festival of Books Our annual book festival is next weekend!—
Alyssa Bereznak,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2025
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Unfortunately, the growing 2024 population was greatly affected by a Dec. 5 earthquake centered 500 miles away in California's Humboldt County.—
Kelli Bender,
People.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.
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