Synonyms of shifting

shifting 1 of 2

noun

as in shift

the act or an instance of changing position

the shifting of the toys to the front of the display was a direct result of their sudden popularity

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shift
• move
• movement
• relocation
• motion
• stirring
• flapping
• stir
• twitching
• migration
• mobility
• dislocation
• locomotion
• motility
• waving
• squirming
• squirm
• fiddling
• writhing
• fidgeting
• wriggling
• motivity
• flailing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• inertia
• immobility
• motionlessness
• stop
• termination
• stillness
• cessation
• finish
• pause
• halt
• lapse
• expiration
• ending
• discontinuance
• shutdown
• stoppage
• inertness
• shutoff
• surcease

shifting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of shift

1

as in moving

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

• moving
• relocating
• removing
• transferring
• transporting
• disturbing
• displacing
• repositioning
• transposing
• replacing
• hauling
• conveying
• carrying
• dislocating
• transmitting
• driving
• budging
• altering
• lugging
• transplanting
• modifying
• superseding
• supplanting
• carting
• varying
• toting
• revising
• reworking
• bearing
• remaking
• remodeling
• revamping
• redoing
• making over
• refashioning

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• securing
• stabilizing
• setting
• fixing
• anchoring
• freezing
• mooring
• embedding
• rooting
• lodging
• implanting
• entrenching
• ingraining

2

as in squirming

to change one's position

she shifted uncomfortably in her seat throughout the interview

Synonyms & Similar Words

• moving
• squirming
• twitching
• stirring
• fidgeting
• locomoting
• wiggling
• tossing
• budging
• fiddling
• writhing
• jiggling
• wriggling
• rousing
• squiggling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• freezing
• remaining
• staying
• hanging around
• stabilizing
• stilling
• sticking around
• tarrying

3

as in changing

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

• changing
• varying
• fluctuating
• mutating
• improving
• snapping
• morphing
• transmuting
• deteriorating
• metamorphosing
• worsening
• bettering
• vacillating
• turning around
• wavering
• seesawing
• teetering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• stabilizing
• plateauing

4

as in exchanging

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

• exchanging
• swapping
• changing
• trading
• substituting
• switching
• commuting
• replacing
• interchanging
• displacing
• superseding
• reciprocating
• yielding
• surrendering
• ceding
• handing over

5

as in coping

to meet one's day-to-day needs

left the others to shift for themselves

Synonyms & Similar Words

• coping
• doing
• managing
• surviving
• getting along
• making ends meet
• faring
• getting on
• getting by
• making do
• affording
• making out
• making shift
• scrounging
• fending for oneself
• contriving
• carrying on
• scraping (by or through)
• squeezing
• lasting
• scraping (out)
• swinging
• wringing
• wresting
• eking out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• failing
• collapsing
• floundering
• declining
• falling short
• waning
• slumping
• fizzling
• giving up
• petering (out)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of shifting

Noun

Most EVs have a single-speed transmission, which means there’s no shifting between multiple gears. — Lauren Swift, AJC.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Transmission fluid lubricates and cools gears for smooth shifting. — Charles Singh, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026

The potential shifting of styles is no problem for Velasquez, who has danced under Cunningham and Binda and their successors Seiwert and Krutzkamp in her time in Sacramento. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2026

In part, this shifting of possession is forced by Brighton, whose out-of-possession approach is much more aggressive. — Jon MacKenzie, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026

The Ultra also pairs an eight-speed Shimano drivetrain with EDS electronic shifting. — New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2026

Engineering experts at Sound Transit and WSDOT had to solve three primary technical hurdles to safely operate 600,000-pound trains across a shifting, floating concrete bridge. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026

What sets it apart is its use of a Shimano Cues Di2, one of the component maker’s low-end electronic shifting systems. — ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026

The bargain rewards responsible development and filters out speculation, secrecy and cost shifting. — Mark Drapeau, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026

Verb

The announcements came at Meta Connect 2026 as the company continues shifting its wearable strategy toward glasses and its personal AI agent, Muse. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2026

Then came a quieter reaction—people shifting in their seats, glancing at one another, going still in a way that had nothing to do with boredom. — Julian De Freitas, Harvard Business Review, 24 Sep. 2026

Here, Raj De Datta, CEO and co-founder of Bloomreach, explores how these shifting expectations are reshaping digital commerce and customer retention. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026

Bad Bunny draws on salsa history before shifting into a harder contemporary rhythm, allowing generations and genres to occupy the same space. — Brittney Williams, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2026

But the past the men are recalling in their stories would have been in the ’20s or ’30s, when the British were still colonizing the region, resistance was gaining strength, and cultural mores were shifting in India and around the globe. — James Folta, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2026

Management teams should recognize that what’s shifting isn’t necessarily their sponsor’s risk tolerance but their time horizon. — Nate Heeren, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Part of that $6 billion is going into additional store payroll and training, shifting more focus toward the frontline employees who stock shelves and keep stores running smoothly. — Stephanie Link, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2026

By shifting Qatar and Abu Dhabi back one week, the F1 season will have its latest finish since 2021 by concluding on December 12. — Luke Smith, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026