1
as in to move
to change the place or position of
he shifted the vase closer to the wall so that it wouldn't get knocked over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to twitch
to change one's position
she shifted uncomfortably in her seat throughout the interview
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to change
to pass from one form, state, or level to another
she watched the aurora in fascination as its colors shifted from green to blue
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to exchange
to give up (something) and take something else in return
my brother and I shifted seats just before takeoff so that he could sit by the window
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5
as in to cope
to meet one's day-to-day needs
left the others to shift for themselves
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in means
an action planned or taken to achieve a desired result
desperate shifts to stave off financial disaster
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2
as in shifting
the act or an instance of changing position
made a small shift to the left to make more room on the bench
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shift
Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 3 Nov. 2025
Orlando’s role has shifted in recent months as CBS News has been placed under a series of new managers, none of whom seems to stay for more than two to three years.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 Nov. 2025
Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2025
In a notable shift, Chinese dramas now dominate engagement share in Thailand at 30%, with five Chinese dramas consistently ranking in the top 10.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shift
Verb
The company attributed the decline to weak demand, shifting some shipments to Q4 and an unfavorable mix.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 3 Nov. 2025
Orlando’s role has shifted in recent months as CBS News has been placed under a series of new managers, none of whom seems to stay for more than two to three years.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
The four-meter-wide telescope can detect faint shifts in light that reveal how plasma moves through the corona, allowing scientists to see the sun in unprecedented detail.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2025
In a notable shift, Chinese dramas now dominate engagement share in Thailand at 30%, with five Chinese dramas consistently ranking in the top 10.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shift
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shift
Verb
-
Then, at the next vehicle entrance, the city is proposing a tunnel so bike traffic can move without interacting with cars.—
Amir Mahmoud,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Even 6 inches of swiftly moving water can forcefully knock you off your feet.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
His eyes twitched in rapid blinks, his lips disappeared as if cold fury were coursing through his body.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Picture objects levitating or twitching without external interference—or switching rooms.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
How will California's congressional maps change?—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Gardner is supposed to change that.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
With a sense of duty — common among Indigenous Americans, who have historically served in the military at a per capita rate higher than any other ethnic group — the men used their language to exchange codes in Tlingit while having no idea what military intelligence was doing with the information.—
Tim Trudell,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
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Four districts seek site sales Districts also must seek voter approval to sell, lease or exchange certain real estate property.—
Erick Trevino,
AZCentral.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
How did the bands cope with all that happening at once?—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Many turn to short-term coping strategies that undermine long-term survival, like selling off livestock.—
Nurith Aizenman,
NPR,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The problem is that the objective optimized by the algorithm is good for the people who control the means of prediction…but not good for the rest of society.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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Then Vice President Cheney condemned those behind the torture scandal, while at the same time defending water-boarding as a useful means of extracting vital intelligence (many intelligence experts say water-boarding is torture, and its victims will say anything to avoid further abuse).—
Ben Wedeman,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The spotlight’s shifting, Pisces.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The way Shaw-naé tells it, heading into the pandemic became a shifting point for her.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Construction requires resurfacing roads and relocating utilities, creating traffic disruptions.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
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The couple relocated to Welders House, their longtime country estate in England, just weeks before the musician’s death in July.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shift. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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