shafts

plural of shaft
1
as in beams
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 spears
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 injustices
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 shafts Stairwells and elevator shafts acted like chimneys, and the absence of emergency lighting, signage and alternative exits prevented the safe evacuation of the hotel’s 238 guests, the indictment said. CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025 In the past, some radioactive fallout has leaked from test shafts. Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shafts
Noun
  • Light wood beams and moldings, thick rugs underfoot, and minimalist furnishings tempt even the most dedicated skiers to stay indoors.
    Lori Keong, Architectural Digest, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Le Teendezvous was a converted horse stable — dim lights, wooden beams, and a smell that said livestock once lived here.
    Henry Selick, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Asparagus boasts 89 micrograms (mcg) of folate per four spears.
    Molly Burford, Verywell Health, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Or some good ol’ corn on the cob, or long broccolini spears.
    Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Precedents for pardon Maidstone’s campaign follows similar efforts elsewhere in the United Kingdom to confront historical injustices.
    James Frater, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Liuzzo grew up as a white civil rights activist, witnessing racial injustices while attending segregated schools in the Jim Crow South, shaping her dedication toward fighting for social justice.
    Dana Afana, Freep.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • It is surrounded by a system of brilliant rays extending outward in all directions for many hundreds of miles.
    Joe Rao, Space.com, 31 Oct. 2025
  • The Post-Crescent also reported that a piece of her tooth had been found and matched to her dental X-rays.
    Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Following a group of illusionists, the crew uses their magical tricks to stage a series of heists and right some wrongs.
    Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 1 Nov. 2025
  • The New York Yankees should be one of the busiest teams in baseball this winter as the organization looks to right many of the wrongs from this year.
    Drew VonScio, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Three or four decades ago, the newspaperman was appealingly raffish—at once a bum who drank too much and a knight-errant who charged unafraid at social injustice, succored the weak, and crossed lances with the powerful and arrogant.
    David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
  • 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
Noun
  • Eight students and the Suburban's driver reportedly suffered injuries in the crash that were not life-threatening.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Supporters of the Cougars and Red Raiders have united behind Texas Tech’s official barber, Ivan Ortiz, and his wife, Maddie Ortiz, after Maddie suffered severe injuries in a recent car crash.
    Sam Jane, New York Times, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Without a federal mandate, these inequities will persist.
    Madison Chapman, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Another piece is education, just making people more aware of the inequities that exist.
    Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shafts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shafts. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on shafts

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!