a fair shake

noun

informal
: a fair deal : fair treatment
The judge gave him a fair shake, requiring him to perform community service.
She expected to get a fair shake from her boss.

Examples of a fair shake in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In a letter sent to Silver and distributed as a press release, the Clippers stated the league did not give the team a fair shake in the investigation. — Zach Harper, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Caleb’s reputation Until now, Caleb has enjoyed a reputation as a hard-luck farmboy who was led on by Kenzie and never got a fair shake in the villa. — Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026 That’s because immigration lawyers worry people won’t get a fair shake thanks to frequent denials of bond. — Idaho Statesman, 20 Aug. 2026 Her association feels the bill did not get a fair shake and will continue to advocate for it in California and for a federal law equivalent. — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for a fair shake

Rhymes for a fair shake

See All Rhymes for a fair shake

Browse Nearby Words

a fair hearing
a fair shake
Afalou man
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“A fair shake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20fair%20shake. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All