1. a major reorganization or elimination of weaker elements in a business or industry
Usage: business
2. a test or trial run to identify and resolve problems

Examples

• The tech industry experienced a major shakeout during the economic downturn.
• Many smaller companies didn’t survive the market shakeout.
• The airline industry went through a painful shakeout after deregulation.
• We need a shakeout of the new system before the official launch.
• The military conducted a shakeout exercise to test their equipment.
• After the shakeout, only the strongest competitors remained in the market.