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

Second, the recent shifting of US export control policy has created a real concern among other nations that access to frontier intelligence itself could someday be gated by geopolitics, not just chips. — Ashish Bhatia, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Recorded on a Tascam four-track in her Los Angeles living room, the demos capture Auf der Maur experimenting with acoustic guitar, bass, layered vocals and lo-fi tape manipulation, including reversing cassettes and pitch-shifting. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 20 July 2026

This resulted in a deliberate shifting of certain emphases, new characters being introduced, and other adjustments. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 June 2026

Providing a sand source Beach shifting occurs naturally as sand migrates. — Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 28 June 2026

In the Victoria Room, a centerpiece of kaleidoscopes and angled mirrors creates a shifting, disorienting effect that echoes Alice’s world, surrounded by lush seasonal plantings. — Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 25 June 2026

Now 89% off, this Bedsure duvet cover is soft and lightweight, and the extra ties in the corners and along the sides keep the comforter in place and eliminate pesky overnight shifting. — Better Homes & Gardens, 24 June 2026

This is native 1080p and uses pixel-shifting to deliver maximum resolution. — Paul Ridden june 22, New Atlas, 22 June 2026

Rashford’s form, Barcelona’s financial situation or simply the shifting of priorities at Camp Nou were all variables that could see the La Liga club decide against exercising their €30million option to sign the now 28-year-old permanently. — Mark Critchley, New York Times, 19 June 2026

Verb

Seoul's policy is shifting from demanding denuclearization to seeking arms control, and calls in Washington for a similar approach have gained traction. — Anthony Kuhn, NPR, 21 Aug. 2026

As the canal prepares to endure the shifting weather patterns, two of the ports adjacent to the waterway have remained central to a growing rift between Panama and terminal operator CK Hutchison. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026

All are geared toward shifting club mindsets away from the short-term. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

As can best be summarized, the title character Niu Lai is a young calf born to a forest/shifting dreamscape who relies on his mother for protection. — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026

That is what shifting a standard of care actually looks like. — Erez Meltzer, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

The White House is shifting to an all-hands-on-deck approach, with Vice President JD Vance also campaigning in Ohio today. — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Youthful ambition bequeathed them unpredictably shifting time signatures, a daunting nylon-string intro, some odd musical shifts during the guitar-solo section, and a long list of other complexities. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026

However, Sandisk is aggressively shifting toward a new business model that locks in long-term agreements. — Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026