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Glite Dictionary
to shake out

to shake out

10 2.9
Remove dust and crumbs by shaking something
  • phrasal verb
  • /ʃeɪk aʊt/
translation icon : sacudir
  • Lirrel had undone her braids and was shaking out bits of chaff and straw caught in her black hair.
  • shake out my hair
  • shake out your shoes
  • shake out the sand

Examples

  • -I--I had to shake out the vent a little bit, but it's coming in all right now.

    Stunts (1977)

  • Silwender was so sure of everything, thought Tamborel, shaking out his new blanket and spreading it over his bunk.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Shake out your shoes in the morning before putting them on.

    Surviving Picasso (1996)

  • "You might want to shake out the Pringle fragments."

    Destination Wedding (2018)

  • I turned the jar upside down and shook out the bugs and the leaves.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Shake out the confetti.

    On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970)

  • After I finished painting, I needed to shake out my brush to remove excess paint.

  • Before storing winter clothes, make sure to shake out any dust from the fabric.

  • Don't forget to shake out your sneakers to get rid of the dirt before wearing them again.

Synonyms

to sweep
vsto shake out
227 1.0

To clean a floor or surface by brushing away dirt with a broom

uses vigorous movement to remove dust rather than brushing with a tool
to clear off
vsto shake out
8 3.0

Remove things from a surface to make it empty or clean

removes dust specifically by vigorous movement rather than general clearing
to sweep out
vsto shake out
1 2.2

To remove dirt or leaves from a place using a broom

aims to remove dust by vigorous movement rather than general clearing
to shake out the rug
vsto shake out
1 2.0

To clean a rug by lifting it and beating dust and crumbs out

uses vigorous movement to remove dust rather than other cleaning methods
to clean (something) off
vsto shake out
1 1.0

To remove dirt or mud from a surface

focuses on removing dust by vigorous movement not any other method
to beat the dust out
vsto shake out
4.4

To remove dust from rugs by hitting or shaking them

focuses on removing dust by vigorous movement rather than other aims
to succuss
vsto shake out
  • Archaic
9.9

To shake something hard to mix its contents

is specifically for removing dust by strong rapid movement
to shake out the wrinkle
vsto shake out
3.0

Remove small folds from clothes by shaking them

targets dust removal by vigorous movement rather than smoothing creases
to shake the plum tree
vsto shake out
8.7

To make ripe fruit or other things fall from a tree by moving its branches quickly

aims to remove dust by vigorous movement rather than dislodging produce

Antonyms

to add
∞ 1.0

Include something extra to make something larger or better

to fill
∞ 1.0

To make a place full by putting people or things into it

How Clean

to vacuum
48 1.7
to shake out
10 2.9

Surface Forms

shake out infinitive
shaking out present participle
shakes out third person singular
shook out past
shaken out past participle

Morphology

shake + out

The meaning 'to remove dust or debris by shaking' is directly derivable from 'shake' (to move/vibrate) plus the directional particle 'out' (outward, away from the interior). The particle signals that material is moved out of the object, a transparent compositional pattern common in English phrasal verbs and mirrored in many other languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will likely understand it.

Etymology

Shake out comes from a plain, everyday action: you hold a cloth or jacket and shake it so the dust and crumbs fall out. That's why it now means 'to remove dust or dirt from something by shaking it'.