Meaning & use
Shakedown
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An act of extorting money through threats or intimidation; also, a thorough search or a trial period for testing new equipment.
See it in a sentence
The gang ran a shakedown scheme against local shop owners.
The ship's crew conducted a shakedown cruise before its official launch.
A note on using this word
The word carries two very different American-English senses—criminal extortion and a testing period—both rooted in the literal idea of "shaking down" something to see what falls out or works.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. noun
A thorough search of a place or person.
Guards gave the cell block a full shakedown looking for contraband.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Shakedown”, then compare your use with the examples above.