1
as in shady
given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions
shifty politicians making deals to channel federal funds into their districts
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deceptive
given to or marked by cheating and deception
shifty practices such as turning back the odometers on used cars
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shifty
Rocking a New Jersey accent as Joyce’s friend Cynthia, Moore gives a shifty performance that’s key to the success of this twisty non-linear mystery.
—
Katie Rife, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2025
Occult pyrotechnics and bloody business of all kinds are not allowed to obscure the interior shifts of the shifty Macbeths.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2025
Pritchard is shifty and swaggering, with a quick release and a smooth pump fake.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
The King’s Academy forward is shifty, but doesn’t play fast.
—Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shifty
Katie Rife, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2025
Occult pyrotechnics and bloody business of all kinds are not allowed to obscure the interior shifts of the shifty Macbeths.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2025
Pritchard is shifty and swaggering, with a quick release and a smooth pump fake.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
The King’s Academy forward is shifty, but doesn’t play fast.
—Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shifty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shifty
Adjective
-
The mood shifts from shady to straight-up scandalous.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Instead, Fenix lost the biggest match of his young WWE career, albeit under shady circumstances, while Americano picked up a WrestleMania win.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Without resources or expertise to vet influencers properly, these companies become vulnerable to deceptive practices.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
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In 2022, the California DMV sued Tesla, saying the company engaged in deceptive marketing and advertising practices around its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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One that’s sneaky smart is choosing our first singles off an upcoming project.—
Justin Curto,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2025
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Fifth-round pick Jordan Hancock could be a sneaky option to start down the line, too.—
Joe Buscaglia,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Affected individuals may be vulnerable to identity theft, fraudulent account openings and targeted phishing attempts.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2025
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Any email platform is exposed to this kind of attack, with scammers using fraudulent alerts and malicious links to entrap victims.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Evans' latest film, Havoc, stars Tom Hardy as Walker, an unsavory fixer tasked with protecting the son of real estate tycoon Lawrence Beaumont (Forest Whitaker) after the kid stumbles into a plot involving the Yakuza, crooked cops, and other assorted goons.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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Rooker plays Steve, a crooked detective with a ruthless streak who holds the key to Hammer’s only weakness.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The cruelty of his dishonest sham, founded on disdain for the autistic community and aimed at parents of autistic children, defies decency.—
Dan Vergano,
Scientific American,
23 Apr. 2025
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Blanketing our communities with descriptions that focus solely on crime is dishonest and hinders our efforts to achieve peace, especially those of us who have survived the unthinkable loss of a loved one to murder.—
Clementina Chery,
Boston Herald,
13 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shifty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shifty. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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