shake out phrasal verb (see also shake)

1. shake something ↔ out to shake a cloth, a bag, a sheet etc so that any small pieces of dirt, dust etc come off:
He shook out the handkerchief and put it back in his pocket.

2. if an organization or industry shakes out, it becomes calmer after a difficult period of time:
He’ll look for bargains after the real estate market shakes out.

3. shake something ↔ out to change a situation by removing things from it that are not useful or that do not make a profit:
As the airline industry shakes out all but the very fittest, catering companies could face serious troubles.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲