shift

1 of 2

verb

shifted; shifting; shifts

transitive verb

1
: to exchange for or replace by another : change
2
a
: to change the place, position, or direction of : move
b
: to make a change in (place)
3
: to change phonetically

intransitive verb

1
a
: to change place or position
b
: to change direction
the wind shifted
c
: to change gears
d
: to depress the shift key (as on a typewriter)
2
a
: to assume responsibility
had to shift for themselves
b
: to resort to expedients
3
a
: to go through a change
she shifted in her approach
b
: to change one's clothes
c
: to become changed phonetically
shiftable adjective

shift

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a means or device for effecting an end
b(1)
: a deceitful or underhand scheme : dodge
(2)
: an effort or expedient exerted or tried in difficult circumstances : extremity
was put to hard shifts for a livingBenjamin Franklin
2
a
chiefly dialectal : a change of clothes
b(1)
chiefly dialectal : shirt
(2)
: a woman's slip or chemise
(3)
: a usually loose-fitting or semifitted dress
3
a
: a change in direction
a shift in the wind
b
: a change in emphasis, judgment, or attitude
4
a
: a group of people who work or occupy themselves in turn with other groups
b(1)
: a change of one group of people (such as workers) for another in regular alternation
(2)
: a scheduled period of work or duty
works the night shift
5
: a change in place or position: such as
a
: a change in the position of the hand on a fingerboard (as of a violin)
b(1)
(2)
: the relative displacement of rock masses on opposite sides of a fault or fault zone
c(1)
: a simultaneous change of position in football by two or more players from one side of the line to the other
(2)
: a change of positions made by one or more players in baseball to provide better defense against a particular hitter
d
: a change in frequency resulting in a change in position of a spectral line or band compare doppler effect
e
: a movement of bits in a computer register (see register entry 1 sense 9) a specified number of places to the right or left
6
: a removal from one person or thing to another : transfer
7
8
: a bid in bridge in a suit other than the suit one's partner has bid compare jump
9
Phrases
shift gears
: to make a change
Choose the Right Synonym for shift

resource, resort, expedient, shift, makeshift, stopgap mean something one turns to in the absence of the usual means or source of supply.

resource and resort apply to anything one falls back upon.

exhausted all of their resources
a last resort

expedient may apply to any device or contrivance used when the usual one is not at hand or not possible.

a flimsy expedient

shift implies a tentative or temporary imperfect expedient.

desperate shifts to stave off foreclosure

makeshift implies an inferior expedient adopted because of urgent need or allowed through indifference.

old equipment employed as a makeshift

stopgap applies to something used temporarily as an emergency measure.

a new law intended only as a stopgap

Examples of shift in a Sentence

Verb I shifted the bag to my other shoulder. She shifted her position slightly so she could see the stage better. They shifted him to a different department. He nervously shifted from foot to foot. She shifted in her seat. Public opinion has shifted dramatically in recent months. Their efforts to shift public opinion have failed. I wanted to shift the discussion back to the main point. They tried to shift the blame onto us. Their attempts at shifting attention away from the controversy seemed to be working. Noun There will be a shift of responsibility when she takes the new position. a shift away from tradition a gradual shift toward more liberal policies a shift in voter opinion The day shift worked overtime. The restaurant needed only one shift for lunch. He works the day shift.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The Biden administration on Wednesday issued new rules aimed at shifting drivers away from buying gasoline cars and SUVs. Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024 Nearly every district in central Indiana is closing, shifting to a two-hour early release or holding an e-learning day, according to The Indianapolis Star, and several districts in Central Texas are planning to close as well, the Austin American-Statesman reported. Nick Sullivan, The Arizona Republic, 22 Mar. 2024 The timeline for the bridge’s construction has shifted back several months from the March opening date advertised in early 2023. Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024 In developing the seasonal outlook, the Center for Forecasting Analytics identified a number of key variables could have shifted the season’s outlook for the worse, including a new coronavirus variant, a more severe flu season or overlapping peaks for multiple viruses. Deidre McPhillips, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024 Terence Dougherty, the general counsel, said in an interview that standards of workplace conduct in 2024 have shifted, likening the case to someone who used the wrong pronouns in addressing a transgender colleague. Jeremy W. Peters, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024 Since then, his children's priorities have slightly shifted. Jessica Booth, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024 This is less the case when 3 Body Problem shifts its focus to the past and zeroes in on the life of Ye Wenjie (Zine Tseng), a promising young astrophysicist whose entire world is upended by the onset of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 21 Mar. 2024 The shift to cleaner energy is still, well, shifting. Sunny Nagpaul, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024
Noun
The contract focuses mainly on a social media system used at the school, but requires that monitoring shift to other major platforms such as YouTube or TikTok if misconduct shifts to those areas. Will Carless, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024 Later the narrative shifts from observational to interviewing witnesses, from Wuhan to Shanghai. Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024 The shift to remote work during the early stages of the pandemic unexpectedly provided relief, allowing many to perform their duties away from toxic office environments. Ebony Flake, Essence, 21 Mar. 2024 Carmakers appear to be running out of early EV adopters and are now turning their sights toward mass-market internal combustion engine drivers, who have been more reluctant to make the shift to EVs. Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 21 Mar. 2024 Audiences’ shift to streaming and rampant cord-cutting have eroded Disney’s profitable linear TV business. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Light breezes from the northeast shift to the southeast later in the day. David Streit, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 After picking up meditation, yoga and breath work, Bündchen started to notice a shift. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024 Since its invention in 1913, the modern American crossword puzzle has undergone something of a reputational shift, from frivolous distraction to status symbol. Sophia Stewart, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shift.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English sciftan to divide, arrange; akin to Old Norse skipa to arrange, assign

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1523, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of shift was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near shift

Cite this Entry

“Shift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shift. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shift

1 of 2 verb
1
: to exchange for another of the same kind
2
a
: to change the place, position, or direction of
b
: to make a change in place, position, or direction
the wind shifted
c
: to change the gear rotating the transmission shaft of an automobile
3
: to get along without help : fend
left the others to shift for themselves

shift

2 of 2 noun
1
: a means or device for getting something done
2
3
: the act of shifting
4
: a group of workers who work together during a scheduled period of time
also : the period of time during which they work
5

Medical Definition

shift

noun
: a change in place, position, or frequency: as
a
: a change in frequency resulting in a change in position of a spectral line or band compare doppler effect
b
: a removal or transfer from one thing or place to another see chloride shift

More from Merriam-Webster on shift

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