shakedown
Americannoun
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extortion, as by blackmail or threats of violence.
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a thorough search.
a shakedown of prison cells to uncover hidden drugs.
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a bed, as of straw or blankets, spread on the floor.
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any makeshift bed.
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the act or process of shaking down.
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Also called shakedown flight. Also called shakedown cruise,. a cruise or flight intended to prepare a new vessel or aircraft for regular service by accustoming the crew to its features and peculiarities, breaking in and adjusting machinery, etc.
Etymology
Origin of shakedown
First recorded in 1490–1500; noun, adj. use of verb phrase shake down
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.
However, over the course of the shakedown in Barcelona and the two sessions in Bahrain it appeared the top four teams - McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes - will again dominate in 2026.
From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026
The test was exactly how it was billed - a shakedown is motorsport terminology for giving a car a first run-out to make sure everything works.
From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026
Apparently, the easiest shakedown targets are single people.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025
It strikes me that there’s a parallel to his shakedown of the law firms.
From Slate • Jul. 26, 2025
The shakedown of her Winnebago didn’t turn up anything other than the $42,520 Scoob saw in the space behind the TV.
From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone
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.
