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
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Recent Examples of shaken down
Law firms are shaken down into submission.
—
Christopher Bouzy, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
Christopher Bouzy, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaken down
Verb
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McMann hunted, but never cheated, for offence.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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Experts say such scam operations in Cambodia and elsewhere have cheated people around the world out of billions of dollars and tricked people from many countries to work in them under slave-like conditions.—
Sakchai Lalit,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In an ecosystem squeezed by the brutal economics of streaming and the continuing struggles of the theatrical model, far too many worthy films go unsold and unseen.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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Tens of billions of dollars in corporate loans are likely to default over the next year as companies, especially software and data services firms owned by private equity, get squeezed by the AI threat, Mish said in a Wednesday research note.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Over at Azur on Luminara, the menu reinvents itself every two days to mirror the port of call, like someone plucked the best taverna dishes off the coast and casually plated them in front of you.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
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This is ideal for decades of sliding across the ice, because bigger mineral grains are more likely to get plucked out by the ice, leaving holes in the surface that could cause unpredictable behavior.—
Andrea Thompson,
Scientific American,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Cowboys have also reiterated that the loss of Jourdan Lewis stung them this season.—
Joseph Hoyt,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Feb. 2026
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Further down the supply chain, former Army Ranger Patrick Montgomery, who runs KC Cattle Company, located outside Kansas City, Missouri, has been stung by high prices.—
Enda Curran,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Brendan McLaughlin potted a pair of goals to prove the difference for Marshfield, rallying from an early two-goal deficit to beat Quincy/North Quincy 4-2 in Patriot League action.—
Tyler McManus,
Boston Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
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Barnes scored with a snap shot from the top of the right circle and beat Svensson Traff high on the short side.—
John Wawrow,
Twin Cities,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Sharon is keeping an eye on the guy who got his diamonds ripped off in Act One, because her bosses don’t want to pay out.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
13 Feb. 2026
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Despite being in serious pain earlier in the game, Mahomes ripped off a 26-yard run that set up the game winning field goal against the Eagles.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The crucial employment snapshot is slightly delayed because of the brief government shutdown and will show whether the trajectory improved for the US labor market, which has been stuck in a low-hire and low-fire lull.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Meanwhile, a high-speed rail proposal between Dallas and Fort Worth is stuck in limbo, stemming from objections to where a route would connect in Dallas, per KERA.—
Sasha Richie,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But mixing materials was done sparingly and deliberately.—
Staff Author,
Southern Living,
13 Feb. 2026
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Tipping, perfectly legal when done through natural means, has been a frequent topic of discussion when the Yankees and Blue Jays have played in recent years.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shaken down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaken%20down. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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