shafts

Definition of shaftsnext
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

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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

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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

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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 Unlike other methods for sinking deep shafts, Gangtie Jiliang is built specifically to tackle hard rock. Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 2026 Upgrades will require significant reinforcement of some walls and elevator shafts, though engineers have found ways to do the work by pouring new concrete footings and installing additional steel bracing without significantly impinging on internal spaces or being visible on exterior surfaces. Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026 While rare earths will be the primary focus, exploration will also assess the potential for gold mining — the area is dotted with old, small-scale adits and shafts. Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026 The mine shafts oblige them generously, particularly after a bender or a jilting. Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026 That list includes several top-20 players and notables playing the brand’s popular iron shafts, such as Lydia Ko (KBS VX Lite 90) and Hye-Jin Choi (PGI 90). Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026 The condition of caskets, artifacts and human remains varied, said Stantec archeologist Ryan Peterson, noting that the number human remains found does not equal the number of grave shafts. Alexandria Burris, IndyStar, 14 Nov. 2025 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
  • According to the team, each isotope produces a distinct resonance pattern when exposed to neutron beams across different energy levels.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026
  • Niall Horan beams on stage while performing at Radio 1's Big Weekend in Sunderland, England, on May 23.
    People Staff, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
Noun
  • Crossed spears of sunlight fall into it but only so far, and beneath their yellow illuminations Brith can see depths and more depths of water, darkening to obscurity.
    Maggie O’Farrell, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
  • Asparagus is a perennial vegetable that takes a few years to produce edible spears.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 May 2026
Noun
  • Not all true crime is created equally or ethically, but HBO Max's catalogue offers documentaries that center the victim and their families (The Sentence, 2020) and bring education and awareness to systemic issues like injustices within Alabama's prison system (The Alabama Solution, 2025).
    James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026
  • His performance balances youthful idealism, simmering rage and heartbreaking vulnerability, particularly as the character becomes increasingly consumed by the injustices unfolding around him.
    Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Noun
  • The researchers used ultrabright X-rays at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan to understand how the structural changes improved ion transport.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 June 2026
  • The raycaster works by sending out rays from the player’s position to detect the distance to the first wall the player can see in that line.
    Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 2 June 2026
Noun
  • Humans have been throwing javelins for a few hundred thousand years, yet performance has largely plateaued.
    R. Alexander Bentley, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2026
  • The Tofinu took refuge in the lagoons along the Bight of Benin, a core area of the slave trade, venturing forth in canoes with harpoons, javelins, and swords to fight off raiders from powerful nearby kingdoms.
    Laurent Dubois, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • So that's an exceptionalism that in quite severe terms suggests sacrifice to right wrongs.
    Dana Taylor, USA Today, 1 June 2026
  • Which just goes to show three wrongs don’t make a right.
    Mark Barabak, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
Noun
  • Warhorses charge, lances down, crashing through the tilts as lances break on shields and men topple from their steeds.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • Victor Rivas, 40, sustained injuries to his arms and was treated at a hospital before he was booked into jail on allegations of driving while intoxicated, resisting arrest and being a fugitive from adjacent Jefferson Parish, Louisiana State Police said.
    Dennis Romero, NBC news, 9 June 2026
  • The driver was also taken to Saint Joseph Medical Center with unknown injuries.
    CBS News, CBS News, 9 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Shafts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shafts. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.

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