1
as in shady
given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions
shifty politicians making deals to channel federal funds into their districts
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deceptive
given to or marked by cheating and deception
shifty practices such as turning back the odometers on used cars
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shifty
Renfrow, when on the field, has been hard to cover, as he is both shifty and quick in his routes.
—
Mike Kaye
august 4, Charlotte Observer, 4 Aug. 2025
Guarding shorter, shiftier wideouts like Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a different challenge, but Woolen is usually well equipped to handle those matchups.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 26 July 2025
Claire, who blows in and out of Kate’s life, turns up one night pleading for help and telling tales about an accident involving her shifty boyfriend Ryan (Edmund Donovan).
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 12 June 2025
By associating vibes with AI, doing so is an outrageous and shifty means of subliminally implying that AI is mysterious, perhaps bordering on possessing sentience.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shifty
Mike Kaye
august 4, Charlotte Observer, 4 Aug. 2025
Guarding shorter, shiftier wideouts like Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a different challenge, but Woolen is usually well equipped to handle those matchups.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 26 July 2025
Claire, who blows in and out of Kate’s life, turns up one night pleading for help and telling tales about an accident involving her shifty boyfriend Ryan (Edmund Donovan).
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 12 June 2025
By associating vibes with AI, doing so is an outrageous and shifty means of subliminally implying that AI is mysterious, perhaps bordering on possessing sentience.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shifty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shifty
Adjective
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But what is Canada, if not a shady land deal?—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
-
The retreat is made up of 60 villas—some with their own pools—found along winding lanes, made shady with towering palm trees and scented frangipani.—
Angelina Villa-Clarke,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, a group of states led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton separately sued Google for anticompetitive and deceptive practices in its ad business.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
12 Sep. 2025
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Katie’s denial was once again found to be deceptive.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But give people a chance to ditch these sneaky little time-stealers for a night, and most will take it.—
Symiah Dorsey,
Southern Living,
18 Sep. 2025
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The former Raiders defender clearly has plenty of playing left in his career, and this could be a sneaky pickup for Los Angeles.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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An investigation revealed the suspect was driving without a license and had affixed a fraudulent registration tab to the rear license plate.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
19 Sep. 2025
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The fraudulent sellers uncovered by CNBC took credentials from a wide range of companies.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,Paige Tortorelli,
CNBC,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The family had no money for doctors, and the arm healed crooked, forever limiting his reach and range of motion.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
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Both are as crooked as snakes in a hurry.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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These are cheap, dishonest shots against a great intellect, acknowledged by friends and opponents alike.—
James Gaylord,
Oc Register,
15 Sep. 2025
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Industry groups insist that they are committed to weeding out dishonest companies that make false claims or sell dangerous products.—
Suzy Khimm,
NBC news,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shifty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shifty. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
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