shakedown

shakedown definition - business

shakedown

  1. Extortion. Hoodlums telling a shop owner they will leave him alone for $100 per week is an example of a shakedown.
  2. A test operation to determine if something works as expected. For example, the manager invites friends and neighbors to a complimentary meal during a shakedown of a new restaurant.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Business Terms Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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