shaft

Definition of shaftnext
1
as in beam
a narrow sharply defined line of light radiating from an object shafts of late-afternoon sunlight pierced the blinds and streaked the floor

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2
as in spear
a weapon with a long straight handle and sharp head or blade the footmen set their shafts so as to form a bank of steel against the enemy's charging cavalry

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3
as in injustice
unfair or inadequate treatment of someone or something or an instance of this the homeowners who were bought out are convinced they got the shaft in that deal

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shaft Thai rescue technician Manat Artmongkron said the response had been heard 70 meters (230 feet) down the vertical shaft. Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 1 June 2026 Once the cuticle lifts, moisture from the air can enter the hair shaft, causing strands to swell and look puffy or unruly. Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 30 May 2026 Just hours before responding to the Dorchester house fire, Kilduff, a 24-year veteran of the force and third-generation firefighter, assisted in a technical rescue, saving a man trapped in an MBTA elevator shaft. Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 29 May 2026 Deputy Interior Minister Raed Arafat, who is in charge of the emergency response agency, told private broadcaster Digi24 that the drone affected two building stairwells, an elevator shaft and damaged five cars. George Calin, USA Today, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for shaft
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaft
Noun
  • The doors of its Venetian-style facade open up to welcoming spaces characterized by beam ceilings, arched windows and original frescoes.
    Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2025
  • Unfortunately, the Farragut’s in really bad shape when a team of five — La’an, Uhura, Scotty, Spock, and Chapel — beams aboard.
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Young boys, some no older than five or six, showed off their marksmanship by throwing reeds like spears with perfect accuracy, and the men demonstrated their precision with bow and arrow.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
  • Vanhanen was the playmaker on a line with Carter Bear and Julius Miettinen, a trio that was the tip of the spear for the Silvertips’ high-octane offensive attack this season.
    Thomas Drance, New York Times, 8 June 2026
Noun
  • Rather than instructing children to look outside of themselves to a world filled with cruelty and injustice, we are encouraged to turn inward, to the self, and then smaller still, to the womb of one’s discontent.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
  • At a time when injustice rages in so many realms, and documentary film is struggling in so many quarters, the latter getting out there and swinging may not be the worst idea.
    Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 7 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • To analyse the event, the team combined X-ray data from NASA’s Swift Observatory with radio measurements from the Very Large Array.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Dec. 2025
  • Mineral sunscreens — which contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide — can block both UVA and UVB rays, but often leave a white cast on the skin, making chemical filters generally more favorable to consumers.
    Mustafa Fattah, NBC news, 11 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • Nebraska's Dyson Wicker won the pole vault at an NCAA-leading 19-2 1/4, and Texas A&M senior Zaza Nnamdi took javelin at 269-10.
    ABC News, ABC News, 11 June 2026
  • Geneva’s Baker Costar, also a junior football player, was runner-up in the boys javelin with a mark of 191 feet, 4 inches.
    Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 May 2026
Noun
  • In markets where enforcement is tightening, the cost of getting this wrong is rising.
    Alex Daruty, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
  • The comeback had been as much about what the Spurs had done wrong as the Knicks had done right.
    Tim Rohan, NBC news, 11 June 2026
Noun
  • The nest hoards of bearded vultures in southern Spain, where the species is extinct, were found to harbor such human artifacts as a crossbow bolt, a slingshot, a wooden lance, and a shoe with an approximate age of 675 years.
    Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
  • The thermal lance Caan uses to penetrate the safe was Santucci’s own burning bar.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Vegas played much of the night without center William Karlsson, who was being checked out on the bench for an apparent upper-body injury.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
  • Firefighters contained all four fires reported in the area, and no structures were damaged and no injuries were reported.
    Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 12 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Shaft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaft. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.

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