shifty

adjective

\ ˈshif-tē

shiftier; shiftiest

Definition of shifty

1 : full of or ready with expedients : resourceful

2a : given to deception, evasion, or fraud : tricky

b : capable of evasive movement : elusive a shifty boxer

3 : indicative of a tricky nature shifty eyes

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Examples of shifty in a Sentence

shifty politicians making deals to channel federal funds into their districts shifty practices such as turning back the odometers on used cars

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s something shifty about the newcomer, Victor Shubin, what with his ashy skin and creepy way of looking at Jake’s mom, who never remarried after her husband, the boy’s father, disappeared during World War II. — Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, "Children’s Books: The Travails and Triumphs of Derring-Do," 22 Feb. 2019 Set in the 1960s and '70s, Hugh Grant is devilishly twisted as Jeremy Thorpe, the Liberal Party's leader in Parliament, who tries to cover up his secret affair with a shifty, obsessive young man named Norman Josiffe (Ben Whishaw). — Hank Stuever, chicagotribune.com, "'Sharp Objects,' 'Yellowstone' and other new shows worth a look this summer," 14 June 2018 History is littered with small, shifty receivers who never caught a pass in pro football. — Stephen Holder, Indianapolis Star, "Colts' new offensive coordinator gets T.Y. Hilton crash course," 13 June 2018 Abdullah is a shifty runner with quickness who has the ability to make guys miss. — Jamie Samuelsen, Detroit Free Press, "How will Detroit Lions satisfy stable of running backs?," 23 May 2018 Each team has a big feature receiver, a speedy outside receiver and a shifty slot man, plus more mismatches in pass-catching tight ends. — Jourdan Rodrigue, charlotteobserver, "Most exciting position battle at Panthers' 2018 training camp fueled by competition," 11 July 2018 In the human world, Sargent’s father seems oddly complacent about a shifty art restorer who is making eccentric demands. — Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, "Children’s Books: Meeting the People in the Paintings," 5 July 2018 Menard is a 5-foot-11, 180-pounder with good speed and shifty hips. — Chris Hays, OrlandoSentinel.com, "UCF lands 3 commits in 3 days," 19 June 2018 And though his shooting woes were somewhat overblown, Lonzo emerged as a surprising plus defender, thanks to shifty instincts and long arms. — Chris Gayomali, GQ, "The Upside of the Lakers," 2 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shifty.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.