shook

verb

Definition of shooknext
past tense of shake
1
as in jerked
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

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2
as in avoided
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 shook The offence that shook baseball in October appeared again, leading the Jays to their second-largest margin of victory this year in an 11-0 win against the Cleveland Guardians. — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Several heavy explosions shook Kuhestak, with fireballs that lighted up the night sky, according to security camera recordings carried by the semiofficial news agency Fars. — David Rising, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 The judge’s words were not audible to reporters in court – but the jurors shook their head or nodded affirmatively during the brief interactions. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026 Outside a fierce storm lashed down, wind whipped against the wood planks, thunder shook the ground, water streamed through cracks and floated into the shack. — Literary Hub, 1 Sep. 2026 After the hearing, Burke smiled and shook hands with Berk and Peter. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026 In a clip from the moment, Boisson shook Navarro’s hand before taking her frustrations out on her racket. — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026 The temblor set off emergency quake alerts on mobile phones and also significantly shook Tokyo. — ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026 Cagle said Zarutska’s death was a tragedy that shook the entire community. — Charlotte Observer, 22 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shook
  1. jerked
  2. avoided
  3. shuddered
  4. evaded
  5. quivered
  6. escaped
  7. vibrated
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
  • 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
Definition of avoided
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 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
  • Each time, brown leaves that had drifted from distant trees quivered and spun on the surface.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
  • Her papers quivered in her hand.
    — Tanya Babbar, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026
Definition of quivered
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
  • Phones across the Pirriwee Peninsula vibrated ecstatically with the ping-ping-ping of parent WhatsApp group notifications.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Inside Lee Arena, a palpable energy vibrated through the crowd.
    — Latif Love July 23, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
Definition of vibrated

Browse Nearby Words

shoo-ins
shook
shook a leg
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Cite this Entry

“Shook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shook. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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