SHAKEN Synonyms: 95 Similar and Opposite Words

shaken

verb

past participle of shake

as in shuddered

to make a series of small irregular or violent movements the bus rattled and shook as it barreled down a rutted road

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in escaped

to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery we shook our pursuers by cutting through the abandoned lot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of shaken Come summer, The Lookup opens on the roof and the party moves upward, with cocktails shaken under the glitter of the Empire State Building. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026 Nicolas Cage will take his vodka martini shaken, not stirred. — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026 Several Italian fashion brands have been shaken by C-suite changes, which will reverberate in the second half of the year and beyond. — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 31 Aug. 2026 Their trust in medical institutions has been deeply shaken, and many now fear being reported or even criminalised for seeking care. — Dr. Sj Job, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026 The Lyft driver’s wife spoke on his behalf during the bond hearing, claiming that her husband was still too emotionally and physically shaken to attend the hearing himself, as reported by Fox Carolina. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 30 Aug. 2026 At the same time, Blanche must try to stabilize a workforce shaken by an exodus of experienced lawyers and an erosion of trust in the judicial branch. — Alanna Durkin Richer, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 Still, anti-vaccine rhetoric, misinformation, and disinformation have shaken confidence in the vaccine, driving down vaccination rates. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2026 The fighting in the Middle East has shaken oil markets, pushing gas prices to record highs. — Michael Loria, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaken

Verb

On Thursday, Clancy loudly sobbed, shuddered and covered her face with her hands as a medical examiner testified about Callan’s autopsy.

— Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
The way the stadium shuddered with noise.

— Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 7 May 2026

Definition of shuddered

Verb

In the mechanical maintenance shop, five employees and the foreman escaped, but two were killed from exposure to the chemical, the report said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Simpson escaped pressure and rolled out to his left before firing a pass to diving receiver Brennan Presley for a touchdown.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of escaped

Verb

But in 1933, within a matter of days, they were jerked back into reality.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
Once the squid gather near the surface, lines fitted with bait are lowered into the water and rapidly jerked up and down to imitate small prey such as shrimp, triggering strikes before the catch is reeled aboard.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 20 June 2026

Definition of jerked

Verb

In defending the ban against the latest challenge, the Justice Department points out that the tax was regularly evaded.

— Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
Earlier this month, the detectives were notified that the homicide suspect, who had evaded arrest, had died by suicide.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of evaded

Verb

With the challenges of supply chains and higher prices on retailers’ hands, shoppers are highly attuned to these considerations and can be swayed by retailers who demonstrate their ability to deliver on time and as promised.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
Throughout the performances, River had her arm around Remy as the siblings swayed, clapped and whooped for their mom.

— Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of swayed

Verb

Oswego avoided sending the ball near the speedy Konkey on kickoffs to prevent a repeat of last week’s scoring on a return.

— Jerry Birchfield, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
First, the Chiefs avoided an injury risk to Patrick Mahomes, who is recovering from knee surgery to repair a torn ACL and MCL from last December.

— Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026