shakeout

[sheyk-out]

See more synonyms for shakeout on Thesaurus.com

noun

an elimination or winnowing out of some competing businesses, products, etc., as a result of intense competition in a market of declining sales or rising standards of quality.
a rapid decline in the values of certain securities sold in stock exchanges or the like.

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Origin of shakeout

First recorded in 1890–95; noun use of verb phrase shake out

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

decline stagnation collapse slump slide inflation downturn bankruptcy shakeout unemployment deflation turmoil disturbance explosion disaster tumult eruption temblor disruption revolution

Examples from the Web for shakeout

Contemporary Examples

The signs of a shakeout are evident beyond the bestseller list.
Celebrity Memoir Glut
Ben Yagoda
November 24, 2009

Word Origin and History for shakeout

n.

also shake-out, "business upheaval," 1895, from verbal phrase; see shake (v.) + out (adv.).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper