1
as in moves
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in twitches
to change one's position
she shifted uncomfortably in her seat throughout the interview
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in changes
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in swaps
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
5
as in copes
to meet one's day-to-day needs
left the others to shift for themselves
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in means
an action planned or taken to achieve a desired result
desperate shifts to stave off financial disaster
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in movements
the act or an instance of changing position
made a small shift to the left to make more room on the bench
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shifts
Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026
That also shifts Jonah Savaiinaea from left guard to right guard going into his second season.
—David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 15 June 2026
That balance shifts some the farther out Nielsen measures — after 28 and 35 days, about half of the top shows are exclusive to streaming services (not including sports).
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2026
The ordinance shifts the burden in eviction cases.
—Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 12 June 2026
Increasing headcount also shifts how the team operates.
—Jeff Winters, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Yet what makes the storytelling so unique is how the film shifts perspectives.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 5 June 2026
Can Carolina rebound and tie the series before it shifts to Las Vegas?
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 4 June 2026
Changing either of those factors measurably shifts the outcome.
—Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2026
Brady Halbleib, CBS News, 17 June 2026
Your intuition notices tiny shifts, so praise progress out loud and adjust the plan with compassion each day.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 16 June 2026
Rehka and Katie tear ahead on this challenge, while Grant and Raph need a few shifts to get their rules straight.
—Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 16 June 2026
The screams, contortions and vocal shifts were made without CGI or artificial intelligence, and that detail is its own form of campaign currency in an era when audiences and voters alike are increasingly skeptical of digital enhancement.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 15 June 2026
San Jose officials said Piercy earned his overtime pay by filling vacant shifts on the fire department’s paramedic, hazardous incident and fire engineer teams, which maintain and operate firefighting equipment, among other duties.
—Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 9 June 2026
The shifts were so profound that even the revolution’s leaders didn’t expect or want them.
—Hillel Italie, Fortune, 9 June 2026
That meant not only more extreme shifts between horror, humor, and heart, but a larger number of characters and subplots to service.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 9 June 2026
While most measures didn’t see a significant change, there were some small shifts.
—Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 9 June 2026
Verb
The plan also shifts $79 million in sales tax revenue from candy, soft drinks and grooming products — money that normally funds capital construction — into the operating budget.
—Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026
That also shifts Jonah Savaiinaea from left guard to right guard going into his second season.
—David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 15 June 2026
That balance shifts some the farther out Nielsen measures — after 28 and 35 days, about half of the top shows are exclusive to streaming services (not including sports).
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2026
The ordinance shifts the burden in eviction cases.
—Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 12 June 2026
Increasing headcount also shifts how the team operates.
—Jeff Winters, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Yet what makes the storytelling so unique is how the film shifts perspectives.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 5 June 2026
Can Carolina rebound and tie the series before it shifts to Las Vegas?
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 4 June 2026
Changing either of those factors measurably shifts the outcome.
—Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2026
Noun
Singh said that many of his employees park in the North F Street lot during their shifts.
—Brady Halbleib, CBS News, 17 June 2026
Your intuition notices tiny shifts, so praise progress out loud and adjust the plan with compassion each day.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 16 June 2026
Rehka and Katie tear ahead on this challenge, while Grant and Raph need a few shifts to get their rules straight.
—Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 16 June 2026
The screams, contortions and vocal shifts were made without CGI or artificial intelligence, and that detail is its own form of campaign currency in an era when audiences and voters alike are increasingly skeptical of digital enhancement.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 15 June 2026
San Jose officials said Piercy earned his overtime pay by filling vacant shifts on the fire department’s paramedic, hazardous incident and fire engineer teams, which maintain and operate firefighting equipment, among other duties.
—Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 9 June 2026
The shifts were so profound that even the revolution’s leaders didn’t expect or want them.
—Hillel Italie, Fortune, 9 June 2026
That meant not only more extreme shifts between horror, humor, and heart, but a larger number of characters and subplots to service.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 9 June 2026
While most measures didn’t see a significant change, there were some small shifts.
—Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 9 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shifts
Verb
-
As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 June 2026
-
Al Weaver, a frequent British television actor, plays Leonard Finch, a curate who moves to Grantchester to assist James Norton’s vicar character Sidney Chambers.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Persistent muscle twitches Everyone’s muscles twitch from time to time, usually at various locations.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Some devices, for example, track eye movements or other small muscle twitches to let users select words from a screen.—
Emma R. Hasson,
Scientific American,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Most of that really changes at the very end and going into Season 2.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
17 June 2026
-
What changes the math is delinquency — the point at which past-due debt stops being a line item and starts triggering levies, forced withdrawals and credit damage at a time when there's little slack to absorb it.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Critics will claim that trading Canadian or Danish oversight for an American protectorate merely swaps one master for another.—
Barry Scott Zellen,
Hartford Courant,
12 June 2026
-
That’s the idea behind scentscaping — a growing approach to home fragrance that swaps synthetic plug-ins and aerosol sprays for natural, intentional scent.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Gemini copes through logic and distraction, while Pisces feels everything at once.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
26 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, Annie as played by Tess Barthélémy copes in two ways with being surrounded by caricaturish oppressors.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
The fund was created at a Thursday meeting of the performing arts center's board of trustees, with the members voting unanimously to acknowledge the president's contributions to the center by all legal means.—
Emma Nicholson,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
Founder of the House Tax Equity Caucus, Elliott — who favors child tax and renters’ credits or other means to reduce burdens on low- and middle-income households — says the demand for relief is the voters’ mantra.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Geevarghese, the Our Revolution executive director, said local elections are often where political movements are first built, and that Mamdani has provided a blueprint for progressive candidates.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
-
The hand gesture has been used by members of white supremacist movements since 2017 and originates from a series of conspiracy theories from the message board 4chan.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The series follows the Clyburns, a wealthy New York City family who relocates to Montana’s Madison River Valley following the deaths of family patriarch Preston (Russell) and his brother Paul (Fox), who were killed in a plane crash.—
Cat Cardenas,
Variety,
10 June 2026
-
Under the law, state incentives would be clawed back if a team relocates its stadium, headquarters or training facility outside of Missouri.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shifts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shifts. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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