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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in squirming
to change one's position
she shifted uncomfortably in her seat throughout the interview
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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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
5
as in coping
to meet one's day-to-day needs
left the others to shift for themselves
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shifting
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2026
Either way, Meloni has mastered political shape-shifting, becoming a bridge between nationalist and mainstream Europe.
—Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2026
But Walnut Way and other consumer advocate groups say the We Energies' plan, drafted with data center companies and no public input, leaves gaps that allow cost shifting.
—Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Schools of fish drifted one above the other in a shifting, shimmering mesh, as neon-bright parrotfish, damselfish, and Moorish idols darted by.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
From further out, not only are there fewer examples, but a range of harder-to-capture details — such as ball speed, the goalkeeper’s weight shifting and whether defenders obscure their keeper’s line of sight — play a much greater role.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
The therapists at the spa were well-trained; always ready to address questions and concerns and accommodate shifting needs.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Jan. 2026
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
Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2026
Rather than sell at lower valuations, some managers are shifting assets into continuation vehicles, which allow private equity firms to offer liquidity to investors while still holding onto the assets, effectively buying time.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
Younger Americans’ sympathies have been shifting toward the Palestinians since around 2020, and reached a new high this year.
—Linley Sanders, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
Achieving sustainable affordability might require shifting the burden of the housing crisis away from the private market and reembracing a more public approach, said Johnson.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Tariff threats, shifting Federal Reserve signals and global instability have kept investors on edge over the last year, and retirees, who don't have the luxury of waiting out a decade-long recovery, are feeling that pressure more acutely than most people.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
According to Côte d’Azur Sotheby’s International Realty’s latest ultra-prime report, demand has been steadily shifting toward larger estates in the region’s quieter residential enclaves, where privacy, security, and year-round livability now rank as highly as sea views.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2026
With shifting perspectives, Superfan excels at revealing the toxic — and lonely — side of fan culture.
—Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026
Launched in 2010, the program took on a sharper focus in 2025, shifting its attention to regions rarely represented on American menus.
—Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 20 Feb. 2026
Noun
Tuck thick layers of dryer lint between and around fragile items to pad them from any shifting of the box’s contents.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2026
Either way, Meloni has mastered political shape-shifting, becoming a bridge between nationalist and mainstream Europe.
—Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2026
But Walnut Way and other consumer advocate groups say the We Energies' plan, drafted with data center companies and no public input, leaves gaps that allow cost shifting.
—Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Schools of fish drifted one above the other in a shifting, shimmering mesh, as neon-bright parrotfish, damselfish, and Moorish idols darted by.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
From further out, not only are there fewer examples, but a range of harder-to-capture details — such as ball speed, the goalkeeper’s weight shifting and whether defenders obscure their keeper’s line of sight — play a much greater role.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
The therapists at the spa were well-trained; always ready to address questions and concerns and accommodate shifting needs.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Jan. 2026
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
No, not the KC Roos, who are in shifting times.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2026
Rather than sell at lower valuations, some managers are shifting assets into continuation vehicles, which allow private equity firms to offer liquidity to investors while still holding onto the assets, effectively buying time.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
Younger Americans’ sympathies have been shifting toward the Palestinians since around 2020, and reached a new high this year.
—Linley Sanders, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
Achieving sustainable affordability might require shifting the burden of the housing crisis away from the private market and reembracing a more public approach, said Johnson.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Tariff threats, shifting Federal Reserve signals and global instability have kept investors on edge over the last year, and retirees, who don't have the luxury of waiting out a decade-long recovery, are feeling that pressure more acutely than most people.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
According to Côte d’Azur Sotheby’s International Realty’s latest ultra-prime report, demand has been steadily shifting toward larger estates in the region’s quieter residential enclaves, where privacy, security, and year-round livability now rank as highly as sea views.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2026
With shifting perspectives, Superfan excels at revealing the toxic — and lonely — side of fan culture.
—Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026
Launched in 2010, the program took on a sharper focus in 2025, shifting its attention to regions rarely represented on American menus.
—Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shifting
Noun
-
Frontex's standing corps is set to reach 10,000 officers by the end of the year -- double the number employed in 2021 -- reflecting the policy shift and expectations of sustained pressure along key routes.—
LEFTERIS PITARAKIS,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The shift is contributing to some of the strongest revenue gains for big technology companies.—
Kevin Williams,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Manchester City’s and Liverpool’s success over the past decade has been based on the acquisition of players moving towards or into their peak years and Arsenal have had a similar approach.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Anthropic had loosened its core safety policy to better adapt to a fast-moving market in which competitors may not abide by the same safety standards.—
Auzinea Bacon,
CNN Money,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the new iteration that would be Jack and his girlfriend Martha (Elle Fanning), whose introduction to the Taylors is one of many scenes played out with squirming discomfort.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
-
There is another issue, of course, squirming away in the soft flesh of maternity leave.—
Nell Frizzell,
Vogue,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The game-changing play of the Florida Panthers’ 3-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night, in the eyes of the Panthers’ goaltender, shouldn’t have counted.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
28 Feb. 2026
-
What's changing Social Security's outlook?—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Janice McKinney, Cherrie's mother, has been exchanging letters with the man who claims his own family members are responsible for Cherrie's disappearance.—
Ricky Sayer,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
-
With so much experience playing Head, Claassen is easily able to improvise in the moment answering random questions, cracking jokes and exchanging repartee with audience members, like the unfortunate man in row B who dared to show up at the theater on Friday in a casual sweatshirt.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Her father Jeremy Nemeth says coping with the news that federal funding will be ending has been hard.—
Karen Morfitt,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Cape Cod and the South Shore are still coping with the wrath of the Blizzard of ’26.—
Joe Dwinell,
Boston Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The move highlights growing public anxiety over privacy, data access and the rapid expansion of surveillance technology by government agencies.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Trinidad and Tobago, which has offered practical and rhetorical support to the administration's moves, declined to sign the agreement.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
Arkansas Online,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Prison staff at the Norco facility have been in the process of relocating or finding new jobs since the administration moved to close CRC in August.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Gee, 35, who grew up in West Bloomfield and graduated from the University of Michigan, plans to move into the mansion while relocating his artificial intelligence and robotics company, Engage, from Austin, Texas, to Detroit.—
Brendel Clark,
Freep.com,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shifting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shifting. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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