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
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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
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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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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
Nathan Goldman, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Standing in the hulking concrete box—the open-air nucleus of the home—evokes being in a James Turrell Skyspace, your senses heightened to the shifting of the light or the passing of clouds.
—Siobhan Reid, Robb Report, 7 Sep. 2025
The self is a shifting, inconstant phenomenon, brain and body ever transforming in time and space, with no clear delineation between what is self and what is other.
—Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025
Jordan Fuja, a spokeswoman for the mayor’s office, said the shifting of some expenses to special revenue funds impacted some non-general fund positions.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 19 Aug. 2025
The committee would be focused on cost-cutting, expense shifting, waste reduction in spending and services as well as sustainability, which would focus on the long-term fiscal health of the county, according to the proposal.
—Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Israel’s shape-shifting isn’t new.
—Matt Bradley, NBC news, 9 Aug. 2025
What’s planned is something like the shifting of the agrarian village to an organized industry—producing wool for garments to be sold for the benefit of an absentee owner.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2025
The vulcanized sneaker resurgence is on, with Vans as one of the brands poised best to benefit from the shifting of trends.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Nirit Cohen, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
But plenty of household media names have been humbled by the shifting habits of digital consumers.
—Stefan Fatsis, The Atlantic, 13 Sep. 2025
The finale arrives like crashes of thunder and lightning, shifting between forceful and delicate moments.
—Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 13 Sep. 2025
To maintain tanks’ relevance, Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have covered them in different configurations of armor as ad hoc solutions to rapidly shifting tactics.
—Marco Hernandez, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
The Globe’s decision to stand by McCarthy is the latest in a series of indications that newsroom culture is shifting radically to match this backlash moment.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Big-name candidates and national attention are shifting the political dynamics of gubernatorial races across the country, posing challenges and opportunities for both parties.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2025
But with the program’s trajectory shifting under Leipold, and Missouri coming off consecutive double-digit-victory seasons and bidding to become an SEC top-half regular, Border War meetings in this era should be competitive.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2025
Evolving risks, shifting business models, emerging technologies—especially the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI)—and increasing regulatory complexity require professionals in this field to be agile lifelong learners and critical thinkers.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
For instance, tax code complexity considers 15 of the most important tax regulations (for example, rules governing taxes on capital gains, usage of net operating losses to offset income, mitigation of base erosion and profit shifting, among others).
—Nathan Goldman, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Standing in the hulking concrete box—the open-air nucleus of the home—evokes being in a James Turrell Skyspace, your senses heightened to the shifting of the light or the passing of clouds.
—Siobhan Reid, Robb Report, 7 Sep. 2025
The self is a shifting, inconstant phenomenon, brain and body ever transforming in time and space, with no clear delineation between what is self and what is other.
—Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025
Jordan Fuja, a spokeswoman for the mayor’s office, said the shifting of some expenses to special revenue funds impacted some non-general fund positions.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 19 Aug. 2025
The committee would be focused on cost-cutting, expense shifting, waste reduction in spending and services as well as sustainability, which would focus on the long-term fiscal health of the county, according to the proposal.
—Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Israel’s shape-shifting isn’t new.
—Matt Bradley, NBC news, 9 Aug. 2025
What’s planned is something like the shifting of the agrarian village to an organized industry—producing wool for garments to be sold for the benefit of an absentee owner.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2025
The vulcanized sneaker resurgence is on, with Vans as one of the brands poised best to benefit from the shifting of trends.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Verb
Because in a world where the terrain keeps shifting, following yesterday’s map may be the quickest way to get lost.
—Nirit Cohen, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
But plenty of household media names have been humbled by the shifting habits of digital consumers.
—Stefan Fatsis, The Atlantic, 13 Sep. 2025
The finale arrives like crashes of thunder and lightning, shifting between forceful and delicate moments.
—Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 13 Sep. 2025
To maintain tanks’ relevance, Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have covered them in different configurations of armor as ad hoc solutions to rapidly shifting tactics.
—Marco Hernandez, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
The Globe’s decision to stand by McCarthy is the latest in a series of indications that newsroom culture is shifting radically to match this backlash moment.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Big-name candidates and national attention are shifting the political dynamics of gubernatorial races across the country, posing challenges and opportunities for both parties.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2025
But with the program’s trajectory shifting under Leipold, and Missouri coming off consecutive double-digit-victory seasons and bidding to become an SEC top-half regular, Border War meetings in this era should be competitive.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2025
Evolving risks, shifting business models, emerging technologies—especially the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI)—and increasing regulatory complexity require professionals in this field to be agile lifelong learners and critical thinkers.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shifting
Noun
-
Yet across the globe, outdated assets, urbanization, technological disruption, and geopolitical shifts are exposing the limits of yesterday’s systems.—
Maurice Obeid,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Part of what drove the NHL back to the Olympic ice was a shift in that relationship.—
Ian Thomas,
CNBC,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Both offenses are moving with little resistance thus far.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Both injuries have significant implications for fantasy, as Jacory Croskey-Merritt is assured more touches in Washington moving forward; in Green Bay, Matthew Golden will have more chances to show his skills with Reed out in Week 3 and beyond.—
Jess Bryant,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Still, Sabbath sounded amazing, the band’s distinctive vibe of limitless cosmic encumbrance, of Man squirming under the thumb of Fate, God, madness—the essential heavy-metal vision—somehow magnified by the venerable wobbliness of its playing.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
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With net in hand, the future microbial geochemist dredged up seaweed and mud squirming with snails, crab larvae and other small invertebrates.—
Laura Poppick,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Traditional data lakes can store raw data at scale but lack quality controls, while warehouses enforce structure but struggle with unstructured or fast changing data.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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Other exciting territory in The Grand Finale involved Mary’s changing relationship with the other Crawley women.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Football is exchanging ball control and patient build-up (like Emery has sought) for a more direct, forward-thinking approach once more.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Parents lined up on a sidewalk outside Bergen Meadow Elementary School, waiting to reunite with their children, exchanging hugs and quiet conversation.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Encourage healthy coping strategies.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Sidelined since July 15, the WNBA star is dealing with being out for an extended period of time — and coping with being on the bench has been a seemingly unwelcome transition.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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What’s more, a lot of Americans still have mortgage rates that are low enough to make the idea of a move daunting, and affordability overall hasn’t improved much even as the economy has softened.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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The committee is also considering whether to narrow the age recommendation for Covid-19 vaccines for older adults, pushing it up to 75 from 65, a move that could affect a group more likely to get vaccinated.—
Meg Tirrell,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Once this context is available, users can start applying appropriate actions, whether that's relocating business-critical content to faster storage, isolating legacy records or flagging redundant material for review.—
Carl D'Halluin,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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The length that a client stores their items is on average three to four years, according to Hoey, noting that a majority tend to close their vault when relocating.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shifting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shifting. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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