What does "shakedown" mean?
Extortion, especially through blackmail
Shakedown
/ˈʃeɪkdaʊn/ adj, noun, slang
adj, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Extortion, especially through blackmail
- Grammar: shakedown is listed as adj, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: audition, badger game, bench test, blackmail.
- Useful contrasts: benign, complete, conclusive.
- Usage evidence: Four Thai police officers charged with murder in connection with the deadly shakedown of a suspected drug dealer in custody were arrested Wednesday after a video clip of the incident shared on social media caused a public furor.
How to use "shakedown"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "shakedown" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "shakedown" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "shakedown" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "shakedown" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "shakedown" is acting as adj, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "audition" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "shakedown", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Extortion, especially through blackmail slang
"What is this, a shakedown?"
- 2 extortion of money (as by blackmail) wordnet
- 3 A thorough search; a frisk slang
- 4 a very thorough search of a person or a place wordnet
- 5 A trial or test period, especially of a ship or aircraft.
"It was planning to use an '807' for one day only as part of a shakedown test, ahead of the fleet's formal entry to service which is currently planned for November."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 initial adjustments to improve the functioning or the efficiency and to bring to a more satisfactory state wordnet
- 7 An improvised bed.
"All sorts of gossip floated about; one story told was that a selector, and not the youngest of that staid and sober party, was found putting his boots into his shakedown at night, and lying outside the entrance of his tent, giving careful directions to some one to call him in time for the morning mail."
Adjective
- 1 that tests the performance of a ship or aircraft
Adjective
- 1 intended to test a new system under operating conditions and to familiarize the operators with the system wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Four Thai police officers charged with murder in connection with the deadly shakedown of a suspected drug dealer in custody were arrested Wednesday after a video clip of the incident shared on social media caused a public furor."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "shakedown"?
Common synonyms include: audition, badger game, bench test, blackmail, blackmail, blackmails.
How do you use "shakedown" in a sentence?
Four Thai police officers charged with murder in connection with the deadly shakedown of a suspected drug dealer in custody were arrested Wednesday after a video clip of the incident shared on social media caused a public furor.
How do you pronounce "shakedown"?
Pronounced /ˈʃeɪkdaʊn/.
Etymology
Deverbal from shake down. An improvised bed would originally have been made by shaking down straw.