1
as in to move
to change the place or position of
he shifted the vase closer to the wall so that it wouldn't get knocked over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to twitch
to change one's position
she shifted uncomfortably in her seat throughout the interview
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to change
to pass from one form, state, or level to another
she watched the aurora in fascination as its colors shifted from green to blue
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4
as in to exchange
to give up (something) and take something else in return
my brother and I shifted seats just before takeoff so that he could sit by the window
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5
as in to cope
to meet one's day-to-day needs
left the others to shift for themselves
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in means
an action planned or taken to achieve a desired result
desperate shifts to stave off financial disaster
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2
as in shifting
the act or an instance of changing position
made a small shift to the left to make more room on the bench
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of shift
Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
Even before those strikes, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had warned that Tehran was prepared to shift its nuclear posture.
—Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2026
Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2026
This innovation signals a shift toward more intelligent, cooperative, and autonomous forms of warfare.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shift
Verb
Erikson has held the yoga fest as a day event, and after lots of input, decided to shift to a weekend-long adventure this year.
—Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
Even before those strikes, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had warned that Tehran was prepared to shift its nuclear posture.
—Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2026
Noun
The cuts shored up investors’ long-time anxieties over the impact of the technology giant’s frequent and costly corporate strategy shifts.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2026
This innovation signals a shift toward more intelligent, cooperative, and autonomous forms of warfare.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shift
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shift
Verb
-
Records show frequent transfers—sometimes in rapid succession—moving funds from TourProdEnter to the Florida LLCs, and in some instances continuing even after a company had been formally dissolved.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
-
But their discharge petition, introduced last week, is short of the 218 signatures needed to move forward.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The launch can also be viewed on NASA's social media platforms include Facebook, twitch and X as well as NASA+, the agency's streaming service.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Curry’s body began convulsing and twitching with increasing severity, consistent with him sustaining a traumatic brain injury from being punched in the face, documents state.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Now called The Palms — records show the home changed ownership both in 2018 and 2019 — the ALF has been cited by health regulators for 90 violations since 2012.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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According to investigators, Ghazali was also armed with a rifle and killed himself after exchanging gunfire with the synagogue's security guards.—
Jonah Kaplan,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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His truck went around 200 feet down a hallway of the building, and Ghazali exchanged gunfire with Temple Israel security before he is seen lighting the fireworks.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC news,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As an Iranian American and a university professor in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies, my way of coping is not to deny the harm America has done to my country and region.—
Mehrnoush Soroush,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
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Principal Bryan Emmert said Fremont High School does offer resources for students struggling to cope with any issue.—
Abigail Min,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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About 7 million barrels per day of that loss is being made up through other means, like the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, Fujairah, in the United Arab Emirates and the release of strategic reserves, according to Kpler data.—
Victor Ordonez,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
But Reich says philanthropy is still regularly used by people with means to cultivate their reputations.—
Katia Riddle,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The shifting perspective is the magic of the show.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The shifting explanations, the defense argues, suggest the decision may have been arbitrary.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This film is about the government ordering the elderly to relocate to distant housing colonies to maximize economic productivity.—
Adam Bell
April 2,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Apr. 2026
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The restructuring will also relocate about 260 positions to Utah and establish 15 state directors.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shift. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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