What does shakedown mean?
A shakedown is a thorough search of a person, vehicle, or place, especially one carried out by security officers or other authorities looking for weapons, contraband, or hidden possessions. The word can also describe an attempt to obtain money, information, or cooperation through intimidation, and, in less threatening contexts, a demanding test or trial. As a verb, 'shake down' means to search someone or something thoroughly, extort payment by intimidation, or put someone through a difficult test. The expression has a rough, informal quality in contemporary English and is especially associated with American usage, though it is also understood in British English. Its development reflects the underlying idea of forcefully shaking someone in order to reveal what they are concealing. In modern figurative uses, the word often suggests pressure: a demanding evaluation, an unsettling interrogation, or an experience designed to test a person's readiness.
A search of a person, vehicle, or place for prohibited items or hidden possessions; an act of extortion or intimidation; or a preliminary test.
"The inspection involved a complete shakedown of the warehouse."
The search and extortion senses are informal and often have a threatening connotation. The test sense is usually less literal and often describes a challenging initial period.
To search a person or place thoroughly, extort money by intimidation, or subject someone to a demanding test.
"Officers shook down the vehicle and found several undeclared items."
In the search and extortion senses, this verb is usually written as two words: 'shake down.'
The standard plural of the noun is 'shakedowns,' used for separate searches, acts of extortion, or tests.
"The officers conducted several shakedowns during the night."
A shakedown began as a forceful search and developed into a word for both intimidation and a tough preliminary test.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does shakedown come from?
The compound dates from late-19th-century American English and is formed from the verb 'shake' plus 'down.' Its early uses refer to forcibly searching a person or place, while the sense involving extortion developed from that coercive context. The word was later extended to mean a test or trial.
Related word forms
How shakedown is actually used
The noun is informal in most modern uses and can sound threatening because of its association with coercive searches and extortion. It is also used figuratively for a demanding test, as in a job or training shakedown. The verb is normally written as two words, 'shake down,' when it means to search or extort.
Easily confused with shakedown
A breakdown is a failure, collapse, or analysis of something, whereas a shakedown is a search, coercive demand, or test.