shifts 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of shift
1
2
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

shifts

2 of 2

noun

plural of shift

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shifts
Verb
The transmission generally shifts smoothly, but there’s such a racket from that transaxle and limited-slip differential, not to mention a huge amount of road noise coming up through the suspension, that any conversation will sound more like a shouting match out of necessity. Tim Stevens, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2025 The tern is in pursuit of the sun as it shifts over the Earth with the change in the seasons. Kate Siber, Outside, 21 Oct. 2025 In the first half of Brag Ingelsby’s series follow-up to Mare of Easttown, Grasso is a slick operator who shifts between tough-guy posturing and a besotted romance with new colleague Lizzie (Alison Oliver). Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025 Separately, Aramco has put three domestic chemicals plants on hold as it shifts capital spending toward expansion in Asia, Bloomberg reported. Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2025 But every once in a while, someone shifts your entire perspective. Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 9 Oct. 2025 This can manifest into a heated online debate or a friend revealing something that completely shifts your perception of them. Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025 Parts of California and Arizona are at a heightened risk of flash flooding this weekend as Hurricane Priscilla shifts its path to the northeast. Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025 But the Dash does have an outsized history that shifts it out of the realm of poetry and folklore alone. Leanna Renee Hieber, Big Think, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
The Wild got some shifts of sustained zone time, but struggled to generate high-danger chances. Joe Smith, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025 She could be overwhelmed by small voltage shifts or tiny bits of stress—like making sure someone had put the potatoes in the oven on time. Nicholas Thompson, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025 But somewhere along the way, especially for kids in foster care, that perception shifts. Laura Rivera, Denver Post, 23 Oct. 2025 Every Friday morning, the weekly Fortune 500 Power Moves column tracks Fortune 500 company C-suite shifts—see the most recent edition. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025 Other tipping points include the collapse of ice sheets and rapid shifts to ocean currents. Evan Bush, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025 These shifts engage different neural systems, one that explores freely and another that applies focus and control. Big Think, 23 Oct. 2025 For more than 40 years, EA has led through technological shifts across interactive entertainment, redefining what is possible for our global community of players. Jennifer Maas, Variety, 23 Oct. 2025 Realizing that time isn’t infinite naturally shifts your priorities. Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shifts
Verb
  • The country’s instant payments system, Pix, introduced by the central bank in 2020, now moves more money than credit and debit cards combined.
    Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Those rulings will shape whether the prosecution moves toward trial or stalls amid continuing questions about politics, process, and prosecutorial independence.
    Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • Motherhood naturally changes many aspects of your life, including your routine and priorities.
    Anna Halkidis, Parents, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Carlson and Herzig outlined county changes either in place or in the works in response to the investigation.
    Dave Boucher, Freep.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Yankee Candle Home Sweet Home Large Jar Candle Right around the first week of November every year, my mom swaps her light, clean scents for Yankee Candle's Home Sweet Home, which is one of her favorites.
    Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Walmart has three other 1-click holiday meal baskets including a Balanced Thanksgiving higher-protein meal that swaps some items from the standard meal deal, a Gluten-free Thanksgiving meal, and a Prime Rib meal basket.
    Mike Snider, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Unlike other forms of stress, exercise stress is a good thing, because the body copes with it in a positive way.
    Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Healing does not look the same for everyone, and the way each person copes with distress can vary greatly.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Smokeless tobacco is considered anything from snuff, snus, chewing tobacco, moist snuff and any other tobacco intended to be used or consumed by any means.
    Dana Afana, Freep.com, 22 Oct. 2025
  • The administration has argued its work is a long-overdue means of rooting out waste, fraud and abuse.
    Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Regarding Chinese aircraft carrier movements, satellite imagery captured on Saturday shows the and the were pierside at a naval base in Sanya on Hainan Island.
    Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Hamid’s character is a stark warning against extremism in social movements.
    Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The novel follows Cecilia Chen, a wife and mother who reluctantly relocates from Paris to Los Angeles for her husband’s work with their two children in tow.
    Angelique Jackson, Variety, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The film follows Liz, a former therapist and soon-to-be empty nester, who relocates to a new town for her husband’s job.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Shifts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shifts. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.

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