fair shake
Americannoun
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.
I felt like they were never going to get a fair shake at life,” the actor added.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
So I tried to give it a fair shake.
From Salon ● Feb. 24, 2025
But much of what voters will be weighing when they head to the polls is which candidate they believe will give them and their loved ones a fair shake.
From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2024
We need a fair shake because this is the biggest fight in heavyweight history.
From BBC ● May 16, 2024
It's my neighborhood, and I've been here long enough to know that guys like Tariq Johnson don't always get a fair shake.
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
