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

See Examples For:

shake down

However the figures shake down, the increasing cost of paying the interest on the country's debts weighs heavily.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

Bricks & Minifigs has also sued Schneider, Mansell and others, alleging a RICO-style conspiracy to shake down the company.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy’s attorney is accusing NFL veteran Michael Oher, whose story inspired ‘The Blind Side,’ of trying to shake down the couple.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2023

There were riddles of existence that, clearly, he was only beginning to shake down.

From New York Times ● Jul. 25, 2022

My hands shake down to my fingertips, but I tap the screen and put the phone to my ear.

From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas

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Related Words

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

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