shaken down

verb

past participle of shake down
as in cheated
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 shaken down Law firms are shaken down into submission. — Christopher Bouzy, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaken down
  1. cheated
  2. squeezed
  3. plucked
  4. stung
  5. beaten
  6. ripped off
  7. stuck
  8. done
Verb
  • But the idea that girls are being cheated is personal for some athletes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Miller—who is no stranger to extramarital tabloid scandals herself—has also mastered her getting-cheated-on performances.
    — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of cheated
Verb
  • Yet profits have still been squeezed as jet fuel prices surged roughly 90% since the US-Israeli war on Iran began in February, forcing several major carriers to cut earnings forecasts.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, free cash flow at another budget carrier, JetBlue Airways, remains severely squeezed by elevated jet fuel prices.
    — , CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of squeezed
Verb
  • The Royals plucked manager Matt Quatraro from the Rays organization in 2022.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Orioles plucked Jared Banner from the Cubs to be their new general manager under Mike Elias.
    — Josh Tolentino, Baltimore Sun, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of plucked
Verb
  • The rich have been stung by a surprise 20% tax on their offshore wealth, much of it squirreled away in trusts in Hong Kong and Singapore, triggering a new rush for foreign passports.
    — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • But Wednesday’s result stung, as the 25-point defeat is the second-most lopsided season-opening loss in Heat history.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of stung
Verb
  • Waymo is still the player to beat in the autonomous ride-hailing market.
    — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Naz Reid had 20 points and 11 rebounds in his Charlotte debut, Grayson Allen added 21 points off the bench and the Hornets beat the Brooklyn Nets 110-103 on Wednesday night.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of beaten
Verb
  • With Florida leading a 20-17 lead, however, Baugh ripped off a 13-yard gain on second down and eventually capped the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
  • First was comic and content creator, George Brett Olson, who did a breakdown (watch it below) accusing an AI Instagram account with 300,000 followers of seemingly ripped off his joke word for word.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of ripped off
Verb
  • Raichlen’s career, in a way, is similar in that he’s never been stuck in the lane of writing about barbecuing only brisket and pork.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Other franchises have run into the same issues — looking at you, Star Wars — but Halo has been stuck in this purgatory for 15+ years, as Xbox leaders and strategy shifts come and go.
    — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of stuck
Verb
  • Welch Suggs, one of the study’s authors and an associate professor of journalism and mass communication at Georgia, noted the study was done over a period of growth in higher education.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • This isn’t a team that wants to pass the ball 45 times a game despite their veteran signal caller having done so many times throughout his career.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of done

Browse Nearby Words

shaken a leg
shaken down
shaken (off)
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Cite this Entry

“Shaken down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaken%20down. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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