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

Masterplan, though, will be exclusive to streaming—but Tucci seems comfortable shifting platforms when required. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026

Leaning into a new fragrance can be a meaningful way to mark the shifting of the seasons, and Belnu's two latest launches -- Still Bloom and Vanilla Bouclé -- offer two stunning scents to try this fall. — ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026

That's led to some concern about whether the team needs to alter its approach to cut down on the flags — perhaps by using less motion and shifting. — CBS News, 5 Oct. 2026

The main reason is that large, widening cracks can signal structural shifting or underlying damage that DIY caulk cannot address. — Bianca Lambert, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2026

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

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

Verb

The two built the models that modern central banks use to stabilize the economy, shifting macro policymakers’ focus from big economic variables like inflation and unemployment to the actual decisions of individuals. — Dario Marino, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026

The attorney characterized the company's earlier responses as providing limited information while shifting blame and responsibility to others. — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Helen is adept at shifting blame, and a wise woman realizes when she is outgunned. — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

Trump has been shifting away from Kyiv in recent weeks, criticizing Zelenskyy, waiving sanctions on Russia and agreeing to a diesel deal with the Kremlin. — David Hickey, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026

Elephants ramble into gardens and cheetahs kill the occasional goat, but the overall opinion of locals is shifting, especially as the Namibian government signals support for conservation that’s more in step with local interests. — Samantha Falewée, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026

This new study reveals that experimental niobium-titanium alloys can defy this rule at a freezing -253°C (20 kelvin) by spontaneously shifting their atomic structure to form mirror-image twins and generate fresh defects. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026

In an industry that is shifting to accommodate new technology, even RadicalMedia wants one thing to remain the same — its reputation. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026

The ever-shifting narrative about who controls the Strait of Hormuz has changed once again. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026