shift

1 of 2

verb

ˈshift 

shifted; shifting; shifts

transitive verb

1

: to exchange for or replace by another : change

clouds shifting shape

efforts to shift public opinion

2

a

: to change the place, position, or direction of : move

She shifted her position.

He shifted his bag to the other shoulder.

They shifted their gaze to the sky.

b

: to make a change in (place)

… Unto Southampton do we shift our scene.

—William Shakespeare

3

linguistics : to change phonetically over time

intransitive verb

1

a

: to change place or position

She shifted in her seat.

(figurative) investors shift away from stocks

b

: to change direction

The wind shifted.

c

: to change gears

shifted into third

d

: to depress the shift key (as on a computer keyboard)

2

a

: to assume responsibility

had to shift for themselves

b

: to resort to expedients

… prompts him to shift and dissimulate.

—H. L. Mencken

3

a

: to go through a change

Public opinion has shifted in recent months.

b

: to change one's clothes

c

linguistics : to become changed phonetically over time

shiftable

ˈshif-tə-bəl 

adjective

shift

2 of 2

noun

1

archaic

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 living.

—Benjamin 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

The second shift clocked in.

b(1)

: a system in which one group of people (as workers) is replaced by another in regular alternation

—often used before another noun

shift workers/work

(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)

: fault sense 4

(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

: consonant shift

8

: a bid in bridge in a suit other than the suit one's partner has bid compare jump

9

: gearshift

Phrases

shift gears

: to make a change

shifted gears in the middle of the project

Synonyms of shift

Verb

• move
• relocate
• transfer
• remove

Noun

• means
• measure
• move
• step
• action

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

Sherrill, 53, a former Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor who was elected to Congress in the Democratic wave of 2018, emerged victorious after a bruising campaign that tested her reputation as a moderate in a state that has shifted towards Republicans in recent years. —Nik Popli, Time, 5 Nov. 2025

By 2026, Leading Vibe will shift from foundation-building to active career support, offering everything from distribution and financial backing to legal guidance and structural advice. —Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 4 Nov. 2025

Noun

Regardless of where the viewers are coming from, eyeballs are returning to the baseball diamond, and the Dodgers have demonstrated just how significant their role in the shift has been. —Gabe Smallson, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025

Its approach suggests that in the years since Ferrante first made her way into American readers’ hands, the status of feminist writing has seen a true shift. —Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025

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

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1523, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing shift

• consonant shift
• functional shift
• gear shift
• graveyard shift
• great vowel shift
• lobster shift
• make shift
• move/shift the goalposts
• night shift
• paradigm shift
• seismic shift
• shift for oneself
• shift key
• shift oneself
• shift one's ground
• shift/tip/tilt the balance of power
• split shift
• stick shift
• swing shift

Rhymes for shift

• clift
• drift
• gift
• lift
• miffed
• rift
• shrift
• sift
• sniffed
• thrift
• tift
• adrift

Kids Definition

shift

1 of 2 verb

ˈshift 

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

a

: slip entry 2 sense 5a

b

: chemise sense 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

: gearshift

Medical Definition

shift

noun

ˈshift 

: 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