shiftiness

noun

Definition of shiftinessnext
as in slipperiness

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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 shiftiness Björck is renowned for his hockey sense, shiftiness and offensive skill. — Murat Ates, New York Times, 27 June 2026 This data can include in-game speed and shiftiness, the angle of a player's arm when throwing a ball, and the impact on a play. — Chris Hoffman, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026 Why Metchie made sense for the Panthers The Panthers had a need for shiftiness at wide receiver. — Mike Kaye updated March 11, Charlotte Observer, 11 Mar. 2026 His vision and shiftiness give him a higher chance to break out for longer runs. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 19 Dec. 2025 Vue’s combination of shiftiness with the ball and the ability to win the ball out of the air against opponents of any size, Manson said, is rare to find in any player — a combination of technical excellence and soccer smarts. — Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 15 Sep. 2025 Every actor works within a range that’s believable to them as performers, even Covino’s hangdog shiftiness as Paul, and Covino, as director, doesn’t push them outside of their comfort zone. — Katie Walsh, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025 Sherrod, a transfer from Fresno State, has quickly impressed the coaching staff with his speed and shiftiness, scoring touchdowns both in the spring game and the recent scrimmage. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shiftiness
  1. slipperiness
  2. shrewdness
  3. slyness
  4. deviousness
  5. slickness
  6. treachery
  7. sneakiness
  8. trickery
Noun
  • Cerúndolo went out in the first round at Wimbledon, and analyst Gill Gross suggested that the slipperiness of the grass may have been a factor.
    — Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 3 July 2026
  • In the following chapters of Quand j’étais photographe, Nadar plays on the rhetorical and material slipperiness of invention to craft a curious portrait of photography’s first fifty-odd years.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
Definition of slipperiness
Noun
  • The whole reason for hiring him — ahead of English options — was for occasions such as facing Argentina in a World Cup semi-final; to show muscle and tactical shrewdness in pressurised circumstances.
    — The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 16 July 2026
  • Instead, Franklin will rise by virtue of hard work and (actual) shrewdness.
    — John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
Definition of shrewdness
Noun
  • The harp is not an instrument of slyness, wryness, or the earth.
    — Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Like the tricksters of myth, there’s depth to their slyness.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of slyness
Noun
  • The practice reached new heights of creativity (or deviousness, depending on your perspective) in the modern age, when ever-more sophisticated computers allowed for ever-finer slicing and dicing of the electorate.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of deviousness
Noun
  • The oil-free, non-comedogenic, chemical formula won’t clog pores, while silica and perlite absorb excess shine, leaving behind a matte finish that keeps midday slickness in check.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 22 May 2026
  • But there’s an innate slickness to drone footage that can turn a shot of, say, a South Texas Starbucks into a joke, and there’s a mechanical quality to the way drones glide through the air that, even if controlled by a human, feels impersonal — a view from nowhere.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Definition of slickness
Noun
  • Guides spoke of the monthlong siege that ended only because of the treachery of a local noble who turned on the sultan and allowed British troops to scale the walls.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 2 July 2026
  • This is not treachery but the truest and noblest affection.
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Definition of treachery
Noun
  • In The Executioners, and the 1962 and 1991 film adaptations of that novel, Cady is a predator specifically of women — even more specifically, young women — and he’s known for this, more so than his sneakiness, cleverness, or time served.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 June 2026
Definition of sneakiness
Noun
  • Marc Cucurella and Pedro Porro have stretched defenses from the flanks, while Lamine Yamal has confused them with his trickery.
    — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 18 July 2026
  • Still, if any one of them did start — plus rotational options of Desire Doue or Cherki — then England’s defence will need to stay on high alert for runs in behind and trickery in wide areas.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of trickery

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shiftily
shiftiness
shifting
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Cite this Entry

“Shiftiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shiftiness. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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