fair shake

American

noun

Informal.

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.

Then Mamdani would get a fair shake, and so would the rest of us.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2025

Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa shared earlier this week that she hopes to give Hegseth a fair shake away from the noise of reports in the media.

From Salon • Dec. 15, 2024

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

The contraction—usually two words combined into one, as in don’t or I’m—seldom gets a fair shake from English teachers.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023