shaft

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 The inside of the boot is covered in a soft and fuzzy faux fur lining that goes all the way up to the ankle—same as the boot’s shaft height. Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Aug. 2025 Many vestiges of the ship’s seafaring past remain intact, however, from a claustrophobia-inducing propeller shaft to six original lifeboats hanging from pulleys on either side of the vessel. Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025 In both locations, the aim was to blow off a concrete cap with one bomb and drop five more down the main shaft. Samuel Granados, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025 Harry Winters led a team in 1988 to develop a plan to rehabilitate the Magma Mine, where Resolution has drilled a 7,000-foot shaft as the beginning of its mining operation. Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 19 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shaft
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaft
Noun
  • Never use your high-beam lights.
    KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
  • These rooms include the trash compactor, Princess Leia’s prison cell and the tractor beam control room from A New Hope, and Emperor Palpatine’s throne room as seen in Return of the Jedi.
    Daniel S. Levine, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The match concluded when Breakker hit a spear on Jey to secure the win for his team.
    Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
  • The former, with that male colleague, could prove the spear of Disney’s destiny here.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Vogel also advocated for the passage of legislation that eventually acknowledged the injustice of the exile and imprisonment and provided a payment of $20,000 to Japanese American camp survivors.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Any place where there’s injustice.
    Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The Sound Of Music turns 60 this year – and Disney has happily opted to celebrate the occasion by remastering the film in 4K resolution and high dynamic range for a worldwide re-release at the cinema and on 4K Blu-ray disc.
    John Archer, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The gas is activated by the ultraviolet rays of the sun, making the tail glow in much the same way that black light causes phosphorescent paint to light up.
    Joe Rao, Space.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The senior placed first at the Div. 1 championship in both javelin and discus.
    Brian Roach, Boston Herald, 6 July 2025
  • Tristan Dion, javelin, Pine Crest junior: Beat out friend and senior teammate Sean Nagle’s school record in the javelin by throwing 47.88 meters at the 2A state meet and finished 10th; also played tennis and football for the Panthers.
    Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 2025
Noun
  • That justifies the team orders to right a wrong.
    Rob Reed, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Almost a quarter of a century has passed since the Republic of Ireland last featured in the finals of a World Cup, and the Boys In Green host Hungary on Saturday hoping to right that wrong.
    Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • At a handful of locations, these spikes extended out to nearly a meter, looking more like lances than anything needed to ward off a close-in attack.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Flame-retardant foams do little, and fire departments now favor high-pressure water lances or immersion pits.
    Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 9 June 2025
Noun
  • And Henry Rutledge, who missed the Week 1 matchup with a lower-body injury, returned to action and resulted in Charlotte’s longest rush of the night on his second carry – 14 yards.
    Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Laurel Ivory was the goalkeeper who claimed the clean sheet for KC on Saturday night, as Lorena appeared on the injury report late in the week with a knee ailment.
    Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shaft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaft. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on shaft

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!