the shakes
noun
informal
: a condition in which parts of the body move uncontrollably
He drank too much coffee and got a bad case of the shakes.
The whole experience gave me the shakes.
Examples of the shakes in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Map: Earthquake recorded near Julian, California A tsunami is not expected, the National Weather Service San Diego office stated, noting that its forecasters felt the shakes.
—
Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
Records from the facilities involved showed that the shakes were available to residents and patients, the FDA said.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 24 Feb. 2025
Prairie Farms and distributor Lyons Magnus have recalled the shakes.
—Katherine Dillinger and Neha Mukherjee, CNN, 24 Feb. 2025
And then there are the shakes which recognize someone or something with ties to UM baseball or the Hurricanes in general.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 15 Feb. 2025
In the staging of the duology now at Theatre for a New Audience, Eric Tucker (long known for rigorously scrappy spins on the classics with his company, Bedlam) and Dakin Matthews have certainly avoided the shakes.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 12 Feb. 2025
Don’t miss the shakes in flavors such as peach or Big Red, or the banana pudding.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2024
My mental health was falling down the drain, getting the shakes.
—Brady Gerber, Vulture, 19 Jan. 2024
Of course, the shakes will only be around for a limited time (and McDonald's ice cream machines aren't always the most reliable), so don't wait to get your fix.
—Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Feb. 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
Records from the facilities involved showed that the shakes were available to residents and patients, the FDA said.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 24 Feb. 2025
Prairie Farms and distributor Lyons Magnus have recalled the shakes.
—Katherine Dillinger and Neha Mukherjee, CNN, 24 Feb. 2025
And then there are the shakes which recognize someone or something with ties to UM baseball or the Hurricanes in general.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 15 Feb. 2025
In the staging of the duology now at Theatre for a New Audience, Eric Tucker (long known for rigorously scrappy spins on the classics with his company, Bedlam) and Dakin Matthews have certainly avoided the shakes.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 12 Feb. 2025
Don’t miss the shakes in flavors such as peach or Big Red, or the banana pudding.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2024
My mental health was falling down the drain, getting the shakes.
—Brady Gerber, Vulture, 19 Jan. 2024
Of course, the shakes will only be around for a limited time (and McDonald's ice cream machines aren't always the most reliable), so don't wait to get your fix.
—Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Feb. 2024
Cite this Entry
“The shakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20shakes. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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