shake·out ˈshāk-ˌau̇t 
1
: the failure or retrenchment of a significant number of firms in the economy or a sector or an industry that usually results in a depressed market
2
: a period or process in which the relatively weak or unessential are eliminated
shook out; shaken out; shaking out; shakes out
: to prove to be in the end : turn out
wait to see how things shake out
Examples of shakeout in a Sentence
Verb after hearing about all the elaborate planning, I can't wait to see how that wedding shakes out
Recent Examples on the Web
Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 27 Apr. 2026 Both Steyer and Porter gained slightly in the post-Swalwell shakeout but Becerra’s rise is nothing less than phenomenal. —Dan Walters, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2026
Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026 The top 12 picks have multiple different ways of shaking out on Thursday night. —Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shakeout
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.
Noun
That's a significant decline from current levels but exactly the kind of shakeout a 4x move in eight months can produce. —Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 27 Apr. 2026 Both Steyer and Porter gained slightly in the post-Swalwell shakeout but Becerra’s rise is nothing less than phenomenal. —Dan Walters, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
How the race shakes out is up to the voters of Louisiana. —Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026 The top 12 picks have multiple different ways of shaking out on Thursday night. —Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shakeout
Cite this Entry
“Shakeout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/shakeout. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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