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
Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2026
Florida’s property tax system already shifts billions in property taxes from homesteads to non-homestead property.
—Jeff Kottkamp, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 June 2026
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.
—Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2026
The bridge between a good decision and a great one, the kind that meaningfully shifts an organization's trajectory, is often a good night's sleep.
—Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Red herrings are prevalent in the subgenre, and suspects come and go, leading to a late-stage revelation that suddenly shifts everything into place.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
Tech giant Cisco is planning to eliminate thousands of jobs as the company shifts its primary focus to accelerate its artificial intelligence initiatives, a move that comes despite the company beating earnings expectations.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
The jet stream also shifts northward, typically pushing winter storms toward the Pacific Northwest and Canada while leaving swaths of California drier than average, especially in the south.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Installed within the Westchester Regional Library, a Brutalist structure defined by raw concrete and geometric weight, the exhibition also shifts the context in which the work is encountered.
—Miguel Sirgado, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
The film captures the uncertainty and unexpected shifts in behavior that can happen during abrupt highly emotional encounters.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 June 2026
For instance, Nursing gig platforms have been found to pit essential workers against each other by offering shifts to those who bid the lowest hourly wage.
—Sarita Gupta, Time, 2 June 2026
Companies that publicly announced strategy shifts towards working from home or hybrid models early in the pandemic are now more likely to staff senior roles and older workers, with fewer entry-level roles available.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 2 June 2026
These are paired with seasonal filters that let users toggle between winter, summer, monsoon season and fall to see how heat exposure shifts across the year.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 2 June 2026
Over the past two decades of practicing emergency medicine, my shifts have begun the same way — walking past a room full of people waiting for care.
—Iyesatta Massaquoi Emeli, STAT, 2 June 2026
Even guys such as Miles McBride and Jordan Clarkson are likely to see brief shifts.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 2 June 2026
If small autonomous systems can degrade expensive legacy assets in a peer-to-peer war, the procurement logic across NATO, Indo-Pacific allies, and any country watching a revisionist neighbor shifts with it.
—Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Verb
Changing either of those factors measurably shifts the outcome.
—Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2026
Florida’s property tax system already shifts billions in property taxes from homesteads to non-homestead property.
—Jeff Kottkamp, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 June 2026
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.
—Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2026
The bridge between a good decision and a great one, the kind that meaningfully shifts an organization's trajectory, is often a good night's sleep.
—Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Red herrings are prevalent in the subgenre, and suspects come and go, leading to a late-stage revelation that suddenly shifts everything into place.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
Tech giant Cisco is planning to eliminate thousands of jobs as the company shifts its primary focus to accelerate its artificial intelligence initiatives, a move that comes despite the company beating earnings expectations.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
The jet stream also shifts northward, typically pushing winter storms toward the Pacific Northwest and Canada while leaving swaths of California drier than average, especially in the south.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Installed within the Westchester Regional Library, a Brutalist structure defined by raw concrete and geometric weight, the exhibition also shifts the context in which the work is encountered.
—Miguel Sirgado, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
Noun
Pink Bar, the resort’s beachside cocktail spot, shifts the tempo at sunset.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
The film captures the uncertainty and unexpected shifts in behavior that can happen during abrupt highly emotional encounters.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 June 2026
For instance, Nursing gig platforms have been found to pit essential workers against each other by offering shifts to those who bid the lowest hourly wage.
—Sarita Gupta, Time, 2 June 2026
Companies that publicly announced strategy shifts towards working from home or hybrid models early in the pandemic are now more likely to staff senior roles and older workers, with fewer entry-level roles available.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 2 June 2026
These are paired with seasonal filters that let users toggle between winter, summer, monsoon season and fall to see how heat exposure shifts across the year.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 2 June 2026
Over the past two decades of practicing emergency medicine, my shifts have begun the same way — walking past a room full of people waiting for care.
—Iyesatta Massaquoi Emeli, STAT, 2 June 2026
Even guys such as Miles McBride and Jordan Clarkson are likely to see brief shifts.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 2 June 2026
If small autonomous systems can degrade expensive legacy assets in a peer-to-peer war, the procurement logic across NATO, Indo-Pacific allies, and any country watching a revisionist neighbor shifts with it.
—Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shifts
Verb
-
As the aircraft moves backward, the pilot starts each of the primary engines and brings them up to a stable idle.—
David Szondy
June 07,
New Atlas,
7 June 2026
-
Printed circuit boards are the nervous system of every modern device, and when board costs spike, the pain moves fast through phones, laptops, wearables, gaming consoles, routers, and AI servers.—
Kevin Williams,
CNBC,
7 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
-
This temperature shift changes everything for aerospace giant Airbus, which backed the project under its ZEST1 (Zero Emissions for Sustainable Transport) program.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
-
The foundation changes the lives of children with cancer by funding impactful research, raising awareness, supporting families and empowering everyone to help cure childhood cancer.—
CBS News Philadelphia Staff,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
The new operator just makes the call, swaps the tool, and tells you the work is now twenty per cent faster.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
Hethington swaps the sliced plantain for his own pasta, made primarily with puréed plantains, some tapioca starch and a little bit of all-purpose flour.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Annie as played by Tess Barthélémy copes in two ways with being surrounded by caricaturish oppressors.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
18 May 2026
-
Another interesting storyline will be how El Hadji Malick Diouf copes with Saka’s attacking threat down the Arsenal right.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
He was indicted on three counts -- destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
-
Adding a healthy twist to the magical premise, powers in Dragon Striker are meant to be employed for athletic means.—
Allison McClain Merrill,
Parents,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Whatever the account, these are poems that have not simply endured time, but have mastered it, capturing it in their movements, their tides.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
-
And its use of initiatives to restrict immigration has served as an inspiration to right-wing movements in Europe.—
Jessi Jezewska Stevens,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
When her mother’s job (Longoria) relocates them to Majorca, Ry sees this as her chance for a coming-of-age story.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
-
The Paramount+ drama series follows a New York family that relocates to rural Montana after a family tragedy.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
21 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shifts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shifts. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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