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Synonyms

fair shake

American  

noun

Informal.
  1. an equitable opportunity or treatment.

    The judges promised that every entrant in the contest would get a fair shake.


Etymology

Origin of fair shake

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

So I tried to give it a fair shake.

From Salon Feb. 24, 2025

We need a fair shake because this is the biggest fight in heavyweight history.

From BBC May 16, 2024

Hall argued Karamo never got a fair shake: “As soon as she was elected, people were trying to get her out of her seat.”

From Slate May 6, 2024

He has fought for a half-century for “Let It Be” to get a second look and, in his mind, a fair shake.

From New York Times Apr. 16, 2024

He shouldn’t blame them for buying the idea that everyone would get a fair shake.

From "Time Bomb" by Joelle Charbonneau

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