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 potential shifting of styles is no problem for Velasquez, who has danced under Cunningham and Binda and their successors Seiwert and Krutzkamp in her time in Sacramento. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2026

In part, this shifting of possession is forced by Brighton, whose out-of-possession approach is much more aggressive. — Jon MacKenzie, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026

The Ultra also pairs an eight-speed Shimano drivetrain with EDS electronic shifting. — New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2026

Engineering experts at Sound Transit and WSDOT had to solve three primary technical hurdles to safely operate 600,000-pound trains across a shifting, floating concrete bridge. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026

What sets it apart is its use of a Shimano Cues Di2, one of the component maker’s low-end electronic shifting systems. — ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026

The bargain rewards responsible development and filters out speculation, secrecy and cost shifting. — Mark Drapeau, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026

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

Verb

Meeting them with greater comfort, and shifting the debt onto more favourable terms, will become a key focus of Laporta’s new term. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

For Colin, the changing conditions in the mountains and a growing recognition that seasons are shifting means operators and visitors might need to recalibrate their ski calendars. — Rob Hodgetts, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026

Domenach said one of the most significant departures from the graphic novel was shifting the center of gravity toward the female characters. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026

Black Eyed Peas had a new look, new sound when Fergie exited in 2018, shifting her focus toward solo projects and motherhood. — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 11 Sep. 2026

Counsell gains another option with Javier Assad shifting back into a relief role following his start Saturday in Miami. — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026

Through deception, provocation, threats, and unexpected movements, a commander can compel the enemy to respond, shifting his forces and exposing vulnerabilities. — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026

Now, as salads take center stage, that hierarchy is shifting. — Joel Hart, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2026

Her arrival stirs enough secrets, crushes, and shifting loyalties to fill an eight-episode TV show. — Rhoda Feng, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026