shake out
To open something up by shaking it, or to see how a complicated situation finally ends up.
Meanings
To spread or open something by shaking it.
"She shook out the tablecloth and laid it carefully over the garden table."
To develop, resolve, or settle into a final state after a period of uncertainty or change.
"Nobody knows yet how the merger negotiations will shake out."
To eliminate weaker competitors from a market or system, leaving only the strongest.
"The economic downturn shook out many of the smaller firms that had entered the market during the boom."
The literal sense (shaking out a cloth or bag) is transparent. The figurative sense — how things 'shake out' — is very common in American English for describing how a situation finally settles. Often used in business and politics.
Commonly used with
Forms
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