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
Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
They were seen shaking hands and chatting.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2025
Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2025
Cover the jar or container and give it a good shake.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake
Verb
This one stands up and shakes my hand.
—Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
They were seen shaking hands and chatting.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2025
Noun
Give the sheets a good shake to get rid of loose dirt or debris.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2025
Cover the jar or container and give it a good shake.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake
Verb
-
Earth shuddered with yet another wave of extinctions in this initial chill.—
Peter Brannen,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Walking into Lincoln with a freshman quarterback and a fill-in head coach is the kind of situation that would make most teams shudder.—
Austin Meek,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Republicans, who say school security and improving mental health services are the best way to avoid future tragedies, have firmly opposed any new gun control measures.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Nabbing that last prize requires more hot talk, sharply pointed commentary and treading territory Carson usually avoided.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Some like to get to the airport very early, with time for a full picnic, while others are dashing in at the last minute while downing a protein bar.—
Jessie Beck,
AFAR Media,
16 Sep. 2025
-
In April, Tien Kung Ultra became the first robot to finish a half-marathon, completing the 21-kilometer course in Beijing in 2 hours and 40 minutes.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Hank is a Dallas Cowboys diehard; the idea of Bobby getting into the Premier League sends him into full-body shivers.—
Jeremy Gordon,
The Atlantic,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Those who experienced the quake are encouraged to report it through the USGS Felt Report form.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The location of the quakes is off of the Tokara Islands, a remote archipelago in southern Japan which is known for its seismic activity.—
Hollie Silverman
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
With an epic Oscar-winning title song by Streisand and tear-jerking scenes aplenty, this film is a perennial favorite and often referred to in pop culture.—
Alex Apatoff,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
-
One video posted to the social platform X appeared to show Kirk addressing the students, at one point speaking about gang violence, before being struck near the neck and later jerking to his left side.—
Caroline Vakil,
The Hill,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Rather than provide food or temporary shelter for such workers in the colder months, municipalities would round them up and remove them, to save money and evade any responsibility to aid them.—
Time,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
-
In Milwaukee, Kellner said that around 33% of bus riders have evaded paying fares in 2025 but that the agency has identified a few cost-neutral strategies targeted at reducing fare evasion down to 30% by September 2026, the same rate of evasion busses saw in 2024.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Examples of these processes can be found throughout nature, from the unpredictable rise and fall of stock market values to the irregular heartbeat cadence.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Using its optical heart sensor, the watch reviews how your blood vessels respond to heartbeats over 30-day periods.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shake. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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