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

The ordinance shifts the burden in eviction cases. — Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 12 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

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

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

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

That surge in demand should boost Marvell's shares as the company increasingly shifts its focus to CXL products, Arcuri added. — Hugh Leask,fred Imbert,justina Lee, CNBC, 28 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. — Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026

This pivotal 106th career triumph dramatically shifts the narrative, proving Hamilton remains a serious championship contender. — Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026

Noun

But all the shifts in time and point of view — and the lingering over details, both telling and not — have a downside. — Julia M. Klein, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Indianapolis, Indiana, shifts into third gear as one of the country's most cyclable cities. — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026

By analyzing frequency shifts caused by the Doppler effect, researchers can measure plasma motion at multiple locations simultaneously. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 June 2026

Its Reactivity Monitor watches shifts in the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary reactions through two branches. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 7 July 2026

The strongest drivers behind these strategic shifts were ESG requirements, the deployment of new technologies like AI that enables operational evolution and a desire for agility and resilience. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 7 July 2026

The pivot shows how Beijing’s centralized control lets the government overhaul its system in response to economic and technological shifts, whereas critics bemoan the West’s institutional inertia. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 30 June 2026

After the window closes, access shifts to prepaid usage credits at $10 per million input tokens and $50 per million output tokens, the highest pricing Anthropic has published for a generally available model. — Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Michael Tippett, a climate scientist at Columbia University who studies the ties between El Niño and weather patterns, said that on average, there is no strong link between El Niño and shifts in summer weather patterns over the US and Europe. — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 1 July 2026