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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of shift
Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 1 Feb. 2026
Roki Sasaki will be shifting back into the rotation after missing a big chunk of the 2025 season.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Sturm wanted Minten to be comfortable at five-on-five and on the penalty kill before feeding him PP shifts.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shift
Verb
All numbers could shift once final weekend numbers are tallied Monday.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 1 Feb. 2026
Roki Sasaki will be shifting back into the rotation after missing a big chunk of the 2025 season.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Noun
Proceeding without independent validation shifts risk from the project onto surrounding neighborhoods — and onto the city itself.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Sturm wanted Minten to be comfortable at five-on-five and on the penalty kill before feeding him PP shifts.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shift
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shift
Verb
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By rolling MXene flakes into tubes, the team created hollow structures that allow ions to move more freely.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Karlee Smith jumped on a quad bike to help herd sheep away from the fast-moving flames on a farm in the town of Gellibrand, a small rural town, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) southwest of Melbourne.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The bonito’s body twitched until Yamasaki slid a thin metal wire down the column of its spinal cord, a second step called shinkei jime, which arrests its nervous system.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
-
Persistent muscle twitches Everyone’s muscles twitch from time to time, usually at various locations.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change.—
Jennifer Sangalang,
Florida Times-Union,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Yet, even as Aleys’s world begins to change with the rise of lay literacy, those lay people are almost entirely men.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Prosecutors allege the defendants sold meal packs intended for vulnerable families overseas and exchanged millions in benefits for cash.—
Jennifer Nassour,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Other local volunteers come by regularly to bring him coffee and baked goods, or to exchange news.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But at the same time, this is a group of players who coped admirably with the pressure of the title race two seasons ago, winning 16, drawing one and losing one of their final 18 Premier League matches, scoring 54 goals in the process.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
In the latest season, still coping with the emotional fallout of his wife’s passing, Jimmy is now about to become an empty nester as his daughter readies her path to college.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Being Different means standing apart - leading on innovation and setting trends.—
Steven Wolfe Pereira,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
As part of the litigation, Snyder-Hill and his co-plaintiffs have sought to depose Wexner and recently won court approval to subpoena him through alternative means after his attorney refused to accept service and other efforts proved futile.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Whether the global minimum tax will meaningfully reduce profit shifting remains an open question.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
The pain suffered by the son hovers like a dark spot, giant yet shape-shifting—and never quite revealing itself.—
Dan Sheehan,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The family relocated to Arizona when Savannah was young and remained settled there.—
Amanda Musa,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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Recinos recently relocated after a sudden closure in October from her location inside of Crown & Honey Boutique to a cozy corner inside Pure Pizza off The Plaza.—
Samantha Husted,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shift. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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