shake down

British  

verb

1. to fall or settle or cause to fall or settle by shaking

2. slang (tr) to extort money from, esp by blackmail or threats of violence

3. slang (tr) to search thoroughly

4. informal (tr) to submit (a vessel, etc) to a shakedown test

5. (intr) to go to bed, esp to a makeshift bed

6. (intr) (of a person, animal, etc) to settle down

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noun

1. slang a swindle or act of extortion

2. slang a thorough search

3. a makeshift bed, esp of straw, blankets, etc

4. informal

   1. a voyage to test the performance of a ship or aircraft or to familiarize the crew with their duties

   2. ( as modifier )

      a shakedown run

shake down Idioms  

1. Extort money from, as in They had quite a racket, shaking down merchants for so-called protection . [ Slang ; second half of 1800s]

2. Make a thorough search of, as in They shook down all the passengers, looking for drugs . [ Slang early 1900s]

3. Subject a new vehicle or machine to a tryout, as in We'll shake down the new model next week .

4. Become acclimated or accustomed, to a new place, job, or the like, as in Is this your first job? You'll soon shake down . [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

The precedent also encourages plaintiff attorneys to shake down companies.

From The Wall Street Journal

He wants to “be more known,” to “explain myself,” to “answer some questions … who I really am, and what’s my story, and how did it all, like, shake down” and “to set the record straight on a couple of things, and that’s pretty much it.”

From Los Angeles Times

So how will the "usual suspects", the "softies", the "newbies" and the "toadies" shake down?

From BBC

In November, Bihar’s prohibition was sharply criticized by a judge, who ruled it was little more than a racket for cops to shake down bootleggers at the expense of the poor, who languish in prison while kingpins watch the money roll in.

From Salon

In a statement provided to Chris Haynes, the NBA reporter who first reported on the lawsuit, the Clippers said: “Mr. Shelton’s claims were investigated and found to be without merit. We honored Mr. Shelton’s employment contract and paid him in full. This lawsuit is a belated attempt to shake down the Clippers based on accusations that Mr. Shelton should know are false.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• check
• comb
• examine
• explore
• go through
• hunt
• hunt for
• inspect
• investigate
• look
• probe
• ransack
• scan
• scour
• scout
• scrutinize
• seek
• sift