Synonyms of shifts

shifts 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of shift

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

• moves
• relocates
• transfers
• removes
• transports
• disturbs
• transposes
• displaces
• conveys
• repositions
• replaces
• carries
• hauls
• dislocates
• drives
• budges
• transmits
• alters
• transplants
• varies
• modifies
• carts
• supersedes
• lugs
• supplants
• revises
• reworks
• bears
• totes
• remakes
• makes over
• remodels
• revamps
• refashions
• redoes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sets
• stabilizes
• freezes
• fixes
• secures
• anchors
• roots
• embeds
• moors
• lodges
• implants
• entrenches
• ingrains

2

as in twitches

to change one's position

she shifted uncomfortably in her seat throughout the interview

Synonyms & Similar Words

• moves
• twitches
• squirms
• stirs
• fidgets
• locomotes
• wiggles
• budges
• tosses
• writhes
• jiggles
• fiddles
• wriggles
• rouses
• squiggles

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• freezes
• remains
• stays
• stills
• hangs around
• stabilizes
• sticks around
• tarries

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

• changes
• varies
• fluctuates
• morphs
• mutates
• snaps
• improves
• transmutes
• deteriorates
• metamorphoses
• turns around
• worsens
• vacillates
• wavers
• betters
• seesaws
• teeters

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• stabilizes
• plateaus

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

• swaps
• exchanges
• changes
• trades
• substitutes
• switches
• replaces
• commutes
• supersedes
• interchanges
• displaces
• yields
• cedes
• surrenders
• reciprocates
• hands over

5

as in copes

to meet one's day-to-day needs

left the others to shift for themselves

Synonyms & Similar Words

• copes
• does
• manages
• survives
• fares
• makes shift
• gets along
• gets by
• gets on
• makes ends meet
• makes out
• affords
• makes do
• scrounges
• fends for oneself
• carries on
• contrives
• scrapes (by or through)
• lasts
• squeezes
• scrapes (out)
• ekes out
• swings
• wrests
• wrings

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• collapses
• fails
• falls short
• declines
• wanes
• slumps
• flounders
• fizzles
• gives up
• peters (out)

shifts

2 of 2

noun

plural of shift

1

as in means

an action planned or taken to achieve a desired result

desperate shifts to stave off financial disaster

Synonyms & Similar Words

• means
• measures
• moves
• steps
• efforts
• resources
• things
• attempts
• actions
• activities
• procedures
• acts
• processes
• initiatives
• expedients
• dealings
• works
• goes
• tries
• operations
• feats
• projects
• doings
• proceedings
• proposals
• events
• deeds
• coups
• successes
• passes
• accomplishments
• cracks
• enterprises
• triumphs
• exploits
• pains
• endeavors
• courses
• exertions
• achievements
• affairs
• attainments
• troubles
• undertakings
• propositions
• essays
• businesses
• stabs
• trials
• countermeasures
• labors
• resorts
• flings
• whacks
• shots
• whiles
• countermoves
• countersteps
• makeshifts
• stopgaps

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

• moves
• movements
• motions
• stirrings
• stirs
• migrations
• relocations
• dislocations
• squirms
• mobilities
• locomotions
• motilities
• motivities
• fiddlings

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• inertias
• stops
• immobilities
• pauses
• lapses
• finishes
• stoppages
• shutdowns
• terminations
• endings
• halts
• discontinuances
• expirations
• cessations
• shutoffs
• surceases

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of shifts

Verb

Try meeting their needs first and see if their behavior shifts. — Juli Fraga, CNBC, 6 Sep. 2026

Translation is a mutation of language, but not direct replication; something happens in the process that shifts the direction of the ideas. — Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026

In my experience, three forces determine whether an innovation actually shifts the standard of care or just stalls after regulatory approval or clinical validation. — Erez Meltzer, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

When its waters warm in just the right places, the jet stream — the fast-moving river of air that steers storms — often shifts its path. — Sarah Moore, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026

The film joins Totem’s sales slate as the company shifts its primary focus to production. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 23 July 2026

For California, this typically shifts the winter jet stream farther south, potentially bringing more storms to Southern California, according to NOAA. — Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

The new investment now shifts the company’s focus from proving the technology to producing it at a scale suitable for future defense and aerospace programs. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 8 July 2026

However, curators say that framing fans as fine art intentionally shifts the perception of what a world-class museum can present. — La'tasha Givens, CBS News, 24 June 2026

Noun

Any additional eastward shifts in the track could bring even stronger winds and greater impacts to the islands. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2026

Slow shifts in public opinion Attitudes about capital punishment have shifted over time. — Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Some amalgam of fan input, ticket sales, ratings, and media outrage determines what’s right and wrong, and this collective taste shifts more slowly than the behavior of front-office opportunists. — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2026

Security chiefs are now in more boardroom meetings and conversations with CEOs as the landscape shifts. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2026

The system must decide, request by request, which hardware should handle which stage, as demand shifts minute to minute. — Ido Susan, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026

The main takeaway, however, was how tough the market is for French distributors amid ongoing market shifts. — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026

Green said the current moment reflects a long-term bet on Los Angeles, which has faced shifts in consumer behavior since the pandemic as well as the aftermath of the January 2025 wildfires. — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026

Small, realistic shifts at home can make a world of difference. — Tabitha Britt, Flow Space, 1 Sep. 2026