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
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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
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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
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5
as in coping
to meet one's day-to-day needs
left the others to shift for themselves
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shifting
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 5 June 2026
The shifting is effortless and precise, the steering intuitively responsive, and the grip decidedly reassuring, as is the overall handling, a pleasant surprise for a car that pushes the lightweighting boundaries.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 1 June 2026
Among the images are some depicting Merlin the magician shape-shifting into different forms and some of the tales of King Arthur and his knights.
—Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
These included the amount of light emitted by different areas, as well as how fast the material in those areas was moving relative to the Earth, as determined by the red- and blue-shifting of hydrogen emissions.
—ArsTechnica, 27 May 2026
The ruling ensures that prosecutors will again have to present their evidence—including digital data, financial‑crime motive testimony, and Murdaugh’s own shifting statements—before a new jury.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2026
The conventions of American journalism don’t serve this shifting, multi-sided reality well.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Land borders dispute since 1948 The creation of the state of Israel in 1948, which led to the mass displacement of over 750,000 Palestinians and a subsequent Arab-Israeli war in 1948, led to a further shifting of borders in the region.
—Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
At our newest campus in Haverhill, Massachusetts, for example students will train in a 25,000-square-foot facility equipped with interactive shifting simulation and a new curriculum that focuses on hands-on learning from day one.
—Samantha Greenberg, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2026
Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
Ho Hern Shin, a deputy managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore who led the board's work on AI, presented the practices as a way to help firms adopt the technology responsibly while the ground keeps shifting beneath them.
—Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
This pattern of shifting explanations demonstrates clear false advertising.
—Christopher Elliott, Mercury News, 12 June 2026
Unusual pricing SpaceX’s debut aligns with a massive wave of AI public offerings (including OpenAI and Anthropic), shifting Wall Street’s focus heavily toward artificial intelligence.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 12 June 2026
The changes look to improve safety by shifting more to a proof of payment system with additional changes for stricter fare enforcement.
—Dj Simmons, Charlotte Observer, 12 June 2026
White House aides pointed to Iran’s weakened control of the Strait of Hormuz and securing President Donald Trump‘s desired language on the shuttering of Iran’s nuclear weapons program as shifting factors Friday that indicate the latest possible peace deal will stick.
—Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 12 June 2026
New data shows how shifting your travel dates by just a few days could unlock significant savings on trips to places like Tokyo and Rome.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 12 June 2026
This announcement comes as many e-commerce companies are shifting their business models to AI to reduce costs by automating many roles.
—Lily Wright, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 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, 5 June 2026
The shifting is effortless and precise, the steering intuitively responsive, and the grip decidedly reassuring, as is the overall handling, a pleasant surprise for a car that pushes the lightweighting boundaries.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 1 June 2026
Among the images are some depicting Merlin the magician shape-shifting into different forms and some of the tales of King Arthur and his knights.
—Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
These included the amount of light emitted by different areas, as well as how fast the material in those areas was moving relative to the Earth, as determined by the red- and blue-shifting of hydrogen emissions.
—ArsTechnica, 27 May 2026
The ruling ensures that prosecutors will again have to present their evidence—including digital data, financial‑crime motive testimony, and Murdaugh’s own shifting statements—before a new jury.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2026
The conventions of American journalism don’t serve this shifting, multi-sided reality well.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Land borders dispute since 1948 The creation of the state of Israel in 1948, which led to the mass displacement of over 750,000 Palestinians and a subsequent Arab-Israeli war in 1948, led to a further shifting of borders in the region.
—Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
At our newest campus in Haverhill, Massachusetts, for example students will train in a 25,000-square-foot facility equipped with interactive shifting simulation and a new curriculum that focuses on hands-on learning from day one.
—Samantha Greenberg, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
And yet, the through-line of its main character's desperation connects Kill List's shifting tones, following a PTSD-addled war veteran's attempts to provide for his family by accepting his friend's offer to team up on a high-paying contract killing job.
—Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
Ho Hern Shin, a deputy managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore who led the board's work on AI, presented the practices as a way to help firms adopt the technology responsibly while the ground keeps shifting beneath them.
—Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
This pattern of shifting explanations demonstrates clear false advertising.
—Christopher Elliott, Mercury News, 12 June 2026
Unusual pricing SpaceX’s debut aligns with a massive wave of AI public offerings (including OpenAI and Anthropic), shifting Wall Street’s focus heavily toward artificial intelligence.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 12 June 2026
The changes look to improve safety by shifting more to a proof of payment system with additional changes for stricter fare enforcement.
—Dj Simmons, Charlotte Observer, 12 June 2026
White House aides pointed to Iran’s weakened control of the Strait of Hormuz and securing President Donald Trump‘s desired language on the shuttering of Iran’s nuclear weapons program as shifting factors Friday that indicate the latest possible peace deal will stick.
—Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 12 June 2026
New data shows how shifting your travel dates by just a few days could unlock significant savings on trips to places like Tokyo and Rome.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 12 June 2026
This announcement comes as many e-commerce companies are shifting their business models to AI to reduce costs by automating many roles.
—Lily Wright, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shifting
Noun
-
As traditional radio was being upended by rapid technology shifts, Audacy filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2024, emerging a year later with reduced debt and a revitalized outlook.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
13 June 2026
-
Every Tuesday, this new newsletter delivers clear-eyed, authoritative intelligence on the deals, decisions, policies, and power shifts shaping one of the world’s most consequential regions, written for the people who need to act on it.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
As officers approached, the boy appeared disoriented and began moving farther into the water, at times going under the surface, police said.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
-
Congress is moving to put more pressure on Sudan’s warring factions, as the three-year war perpetuates one of the globe’s worst humanitarian crises.—
Adrian Elimian,
semafor.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Unless your companion could use a hand or is traveling with young kids (in the latter case, if this person also happens to be your spouse or partner, really not cool to leave them with the stroller, diaper bag, squirming kids).—
CNT Editors,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
The player who was hit by the cart immediately grabbed his thigh and knee area while squirming in pain on the ground.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
In addition to demonstrating ROI, another key aspect of navigating changing pricing models will be having the ability to flexibly switch suppliers.—
Martin Taylor,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
Progressive lenses support both near and distance vision, while photochromic lenses adjust to changing light throughout the day.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The apparent loss of the aircraft came after hostilities in the region escalated over the weekend, with Iran and Israel exchanging their first direct strikes in months late Sunday.—
Todd Symons,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
An armed intruder was shot and killed after exchanging gunfire with a homeowner, authorities said.—
Jazmin Alvarado,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Known for shows like Eastbound & Down and the Righteous Gemstones, McBride brings his comedic genius to this debut short story collection that tells the stories of men coping with life’s tragedies, both big and small.—
Caroline Reilly,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
-
There are several moments in the subsequent season devoted to different characters coping with her death, including the mobsters who orchestrated her demise.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
When asked about a statement Anthropic released last week about taking a pause due to the technology being almost able to develop itself, Amodei said that countries and AI labs would all have to agree to a pause for such a move to be effective.—
Mason Leath,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
-
Rice’s election, by a 58%-42% margin, marks a likely continuation of the SBC’s move toward the right.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Johnson said the land could be sold to a private developer for something new and relocating to another downtown building would cost much less.—
S.E. Jenkins,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
-
Data from relocation services firm CapRelo shows the average cost of relocating a C-suite executive more than doubled between 2021 and 2025, rising to as much as $187,000 per move among its Fortune 500 and mid-market clients.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shifting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shifting. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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