shakedown

1 of 2

noun

shake·​down ˈshāk-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce shakedown (audio)
1
: an improvised bed (such as one made up on the floor)
2
: a boisterous dance
3
: an act or instance of shaking someone down
especially : extortion
4
: a thorough search
5
: a process or period of adjustment
6
: a testing under operating conditions of something new (such as a ship) for possible faults and defects and for familiarizing the operators with it

shake down

2 of 2

verb

shook down; shaken down; shaking down; shakes down

intransitive verb

1
a
: to take up temporary quarters
b
: to occupy an improvised or makeshift bed
2
a
: to become accustomed especially to new surroundings or duties
b
: to settle down

transitive verb

1
: to obtain money from in a deceitful, contemptible, or illegal manner
racketeers shaking down store owners for protection
2
: to make a thorough search of
3
: to bring about a reduction of
4
: to give a shakedown test to
shook down the vessel before its maiden voyage

Examples of shakedown in a Sentence

Noun He was the victim of a shakedown by a street gang. The guards conducted a shakedown of the prisoners' cells to look for weapons. They're putting the system through a shakedown. Verb the rumor is that he started his career shaking people down as an enforcer for the mob
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
The professor said the groups committed crimes, but their offenses were relatively petty by today’s standards: brawling and shakedowns of non-gang members for their bikes or lunch money. Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2025 Hamilton, 40, got his first chance to drive Ferrari’s new car for the 2025 season in a short shakedown test at its private test track in Italy on Wednesday following his shock winter move. Luke Smith, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
In 2008, federal prosecutors accused Blagojevich of turning Illinois' government into a moneymaking operation for himself by trying to, among other things, shake down a children's hospital and racetrack owners. Npr Staff, NPR, 11 Feb. 2025 Is the Egyptian really considering leaving Anfield at the end of the season or is this all part of a ploy to shake down Liverpool for as much money as possible? Graham Ruthven, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for shakedown

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1730, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1859, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of shakedown was circa 1730

Browse Nearby Entries

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shakedown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shakedown. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

shakedown

noun
shake·​down ˈshāk-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce shakedown (audio)
: a testing under operating conditions of something new (as a ship) for possible faults or for the operators to become more familiar with it
a shakedown cruise
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!