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

The shifting, changing elements and extreme variation is a foundational principle baked into the DNA. — Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 1 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

Nothing against the consumption that always follows production, but there’s consumption on concerts and soccer, or the shifting of savings to new, economy-expanding ideas. — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 20 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

The audience — all Christians themselves — darted worried looks to one another, shifting uncomfortably in their seats. — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026

And with looming questions about tariffs, labor markets, and shifting political conditions, many companies are treating automation as a long-term hedge against uncertainty, not a one-time upgrade. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 17 July 2026

In this Federal Reserve Bank of New York Staff Report the authors explored how banks have been shifting risks to comply with post-2007-2009 bank regulations. — Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Rain, shifting winds and the cold front should eventually help clear the smoke, though air quality may not improve everywhere immediately. — Dakota Smith, CNN Money, 17 July 2026

There, Morris’s large-scale, high-contrast graphic paintings fill the space alongside the shifting aromas of Dir's latest fragrances. — Parizaad Khan Sethi, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 July 2026

No research suggests that shifting your last drink to earlier in the day offers any protective effect, and some evidence even points in the opposite direction. — Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 17 July 2026

The debate over the development has played out amid a serious downturn in the region’s entertainment industry, with studios shifting film and television production to Georgia, New Mexico and other out-of-state locations. — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026

The United Nations humanitarian office says around 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of the ceasefire in areas of Gaza close to the military's shifting lines of control along its yellow and orange lines. — Aya Batrawy, NPR, 10 July 2026