as in plucked
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
the rumor is that he started his career shaking people down as an enforcer for the mob
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Recent Examples of shaken down
Law firms are shaken down into submission.
—
Christopher Bouzy, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
Christopher Bouzy, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaken down
Verb
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The landscapes feel plucked from an epic poem, and centuries of battles, folklore, and ancient clans set the tone for a vibrant culture steeped in history.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
12 Oct. 2025
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Tradition meets contemporary design with this sculptural vessel that looks like it was plucked from a contemporary art exhibition.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Freeman took rookie Chad Patrick deep for the first Dodgers run, and his teammates squeezed a second run out of Brewers closer Abner Uribe in the ninth.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
14 Oct. 2025
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The iPhone 17′s margin could also be squeezed by an unfavorable product mix and a higher bill of materials cost.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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My eyes stung, the tears ready to spill.—
Sofía Pereda,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
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Algren, stung by Beauvoir’s independence, treated her miserably.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Wipe the baseboards dry with a towel when you're done.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
17 Oct. 2025
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Just because it hasn’t been done, doesn’t mean it can’t be done.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Instead of slowly taking the ball out of the rim, the Celtics hustled to push the ball up court.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
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Without any additional hesitation, McMillian hustled over to the white backdrop to pose alongside Curry.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Sandy Baltimore beat opponent Maelle Garbino to almost every loose ball, presenting a constant threat on the left.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Furthermore, big banks — bellwethers for economic activity — such as JPMorgan Chase, Citi and Goldman Sachs, beat earnings expectations, suggesting that fundamentals are still sound.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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My take on Don’t Think is that becoming overly cerebral, stuck exclusively in my head, inhibits flow.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Oct. 2025
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The recurrent staging only makes the show’s narrative feel more insular, which works fine when there’s forward momentum, but this one is stuck looking backward.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That sense of reiterating his faith and a fresh start were on display Sunday night as Brown registered his first two-touchdown game in four seasons to help the resurgent Chiefs beat visiting Detroit 30-17.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
13 Oct. 2025
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Ruff didn’t beat around the bush with that.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shaken down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaken%20down. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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