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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in to cope
to meet one's day-to-day needs
left the others to shift for themselves
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of shift
Chuck Bonfiglio, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2026
The president has instead shifted focus to a July 4 rally featuring luminaries like country singer Lee Greenwood, tenor Christopher Macchio and, naturally, himself.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 14 June 2026
Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026
Goss said the controversy surrounding Swift's potential guest list reflects a larger cultural shift.
—Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shift
Verb
Buyers also need confidence that costs like mortgages, insurance and association fees won’t shift under their feet.
—Chuck Bonfiglio, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2026
The president has instead shifted focus to a July 4 rally featuring luminaries like country singer Lee Greenwood, tenor Christopher Macchio and, naturally, himself.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 14 June 2026
Noun
The mood shift can be almost immediate.
—Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026
Goss said the controversy surrounding Swift's potential guest list reflects a larger cultural shift.
—Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shift
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shift
Verb
-
Weather service meteorologist Frank Pereira said the system that produced the storms, including high winds and hail, was moving eastward Thursday, fueled by cool air from Canada clashing with warm, humid air from the South.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
Towards the end of Thursday night’s episode, voice-over narrator Iain Stirling revealed that because the app crashed, the recoupling was moved to Friday night, hopefully giving the first Aftersun episode plenty to discuss.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Durrell alternates between slapstick domestic high jinks, wanderings through the lush natural landscape, and increasingly ambitious investigations of biological life, from tracking twitching bacteria in pond water to the mating habits of insects.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
10 June 2026
-
The Buena Vista Social Club features feet-twitching music and Wolf says that, obviously, people want to get up and dance but that’s just not allowed.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
And while there was plenty of ball left after that, the game changed from that moment.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
-
At the same time, the science underlying vaccination has changed beyond recognition, driven by the singular breakthrough discovery in the late nineteenth century that microbes—bacteria and virus—cause infectious disease.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The players could be seen exchanging words throughout their match-up and, at one point during the second quarter, Harrison swatted at the ball being held by Reese after play had already been stopped.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
-
The 18-year-old who was hurt exchanged gunfire with multiple unidentified suspects, and charges against him are pending, according to police.—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Nonprofits coping with reduced budgets and other challenges have been working together.—
Jim Morrill,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Dec. 2025
-
After Schauer made the decision to end his life, Surdoval turned to a death cafe to cope.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The fund was created at a Thursday meeting of the performing arts center's board of trustees, with the members voting unanimously to acknowledge the president's contributions to the center by all legal means.—
Emma Nicholson,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
The government of Kagame, whose party has ruled Rwanda since 1994, has tried to bridge ethnic divisions using legal means and other measures, and has been praised by many for presiding over relative peace and stability.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Getz said the shifting has nothing to do with players being injured.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
10 June 2026
-
Tuck thick layers of dryer lint between and around fragile items to pad them from any shifting of the box’s contents.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
The series follows the Clyburns, a wealthy New York City family who relocates to Montana’s Madison River Valley following the deaths of family patriarch Preston (Russell) and his brother Paul (Fox), who were killed in a plane crash.—
Cat Cardenas,
Variety,
10 June 2026
-
After two seasons in the frozen Alaskan wilderness, the survival competition has drastically relocated to the dense, humid jungles of Panama.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shift. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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