as in trembling
marked by or given to small uncontrollable bodily movements
suffered a shaking chill during his bout with the flu
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in twitching
a series of slight movements by a body back and forth or from side to side
gave the bottle of salad dressing a good shaking
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in escape
the act or a means of getting or keeping away from something undesirable
condemned the government's shaking of its overseas responsibilities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in jerking
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
2
as in avoiding
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
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 shaking
Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
In the video, a terrified Archie can be seen frozen, staring and shaking.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
His home office was full of pictures of him shaking hands with famous visitors, like the Canadian Prime Minister and the Queen of Jordan.
—Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Your ruler Mercury will also station retrograde in Sagittarius—your seventh house of partnerships—on November 9, revealing all the ways your desires for independence may be shaking things up with up your closest allies and enemies.
—Roya Backlund, StyleCaster, 23 Dec. 2024
The Ohio State Buckeyes rebounded in a big way on Saturday, shaking off the sting of their recent home loss to Michigan with a commanding victory over the Tennessee Volunteers.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
Mangione allegedly began shaking after the question.
—Liam Quinn, People.com, 12 Dec. 2024
Their small aquatic habitat started shaking only two minutes later.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 12 Dec. 2024
Eyewitnesses who watched the interaction between Representative Nancy Mace and James McIntyre are questioning the congresswoman's claims about being assaulted, describing instead a scene where McIntyre was just shaking her hand.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
Symptoms like a fast heart rate, or shortness of breath, shaking and chills, confusion or lethargy.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
In the video, a terrified Archie can be seen frozen, staring and shaking.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
His home office was full of pictures of him shaking hands with famous visitors, like the Canadian Prime Minister and the Queen of Jordan.
—Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Your ruler Mercury will also station retrograde in Sagittarius—your seventh house of partnerships—on November 9, revealing all the ways your desires for independence may be shaking things up with up your closest allies and enemies.
—Roya Backlund, StyleCaster, 23 Dec. 2024
The Ohio State Buckeyes rebounded in a big way on Saturday, shaking off the sting of their recent home loss to Michigan with a commanding victory over the Tennessee Volunteers.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
Mangione allegedly began shaking after the question.
—Liam Quinn, People.com, 12 Dec. 2024
Their small aquatic habitat started shaking only two minutes later.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 12 Dec. 2024
Eyewitnesses who watched the interaction between Representative Nancy Mace and James McIntyre are questioning the congresswoman's claims about being assaulted, describing instead a scene where McIntyre was just shaking her hand.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaking
Noun
-
The Reality: Most Will Not Be Able to Enter Canada Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants has left many searching for an escape, but Canada will not be a viable refuge for the vast majority.—
Andy J. Semotiuk,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
-
Samantha Bonar, at the fire’s eastern edge in Pasadena, was thinking the same thing after making a quick escape.—
Laurence Darmiento,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
For something completely hands-free, grab this Roomba robot vacuum that can map out a path for itself all on its own, avoiding obstacles like furniture and ledges in the process.—
Clara McMahon,
People.com,
26 Dec. 2024
-
Analyze Your Current Financial Situation Gaining a clear understanding of your financial standing is the first step toward avoiding new debt.—
True Tamplin,
Forbes,
26 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
The big moments kept finding Shaw, who was 1-for-5 with two strikeouts and stranded three on base with two outs.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Mar. 2025
-
Holy Cross used five pitchers in the inning, with two of them failing to record an out.—
Ryan Gaydos,
Fox News,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Rich had fled to Switzerland in 1983 after he was indicted on more than 50 counts of fraud and evading more than $48 million in taxes.—
Bart Jansen,
USA TODAY,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Rosado was arrested and charged with engaging police in pursuit, evading responsibility, failure to obey stop sign, reckless driving, unreadable license plates, interfering with an officer, possession with intent to sell narcotics and operating a drug factory.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
17 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Electronic sounds, sounds moving through water, sounds experienced through vibration—deaf expertise was one form among many in this slippery medium (newly manipulable with cheap digital tools).—
Mara Mills,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2025
-
The riddims during that two-song run were palpable, as even Sol closed her eyes and swayed side to side, soaking in the positive vibrations that darted her way.—
Carl Lamarre,
Billboard,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The vehicle must also earn a good or acceptable rating in the collision avoidance areas, like pedestrian front-crash prevention technology test for daytime and nighttime driving as well as its headlights on all trim levels.—
Jackie Charniga,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2025
-
As far as speed, elephants moving at a slow speed show an even stronger avoidance of the difficult, more energetically-costly terrain.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Not literal strings, of course—but tiny loops or snippets of vibrating energy.—
Tom Siegfried,
JSTOR Daily,
19 Dec. 2024
-
Because everything is moving, everything vibrating in one great dance that is the act of becoming.—
Jennifer Harlan,
New York Times,
13 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Their family was on the run, escaping the mortar fire that drove them from their home in Hari Fara, one of the last refuges for Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority.—
Adam Ferguson,
New York Times,
28 Dec. 2024
-
The 1922 version's climax is more focused on Knock escaping and being hunted by the townsfolk because he's scapegoated for the plague.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA TODAY,
25 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Shaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaking. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share