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
Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
The law shifts the financial burden of paying brokers from renters to landlords.
—Mahsa Saeidi, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
However, for Rose Reese’s return also shifts attention back toward Rose’s postseason outlook.
—D’joumbarey Moreau, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
The team now shifts its focus to Sunday, when the Current will face the San Diego Wave at the Coachella Invitational.
—Melanie Anzidei, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
When a word feels too abstract, Jacobs shifts the phrasing, lowers the tempo or elongates a syllable until Siena grasps it.
—Reylee Billingsley, AZCentral.com, 7 Feb. 2026
In the ad, Yang and Hamm appear to be a bit salty that they weren’t invited to a party on Ritz island, though The Avengers star quickly shifts their mood, and the three jet ski through the sands of the bash.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
Yet what makes the storytelling so unique is how the film shifts perspectives.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 1 Feb. 2026
It shifts responsibility from the individual to the organization.
—Jennifer Jay Palumbo, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Charlotte Observer, 11 Mar. 2026
The commission’s decision backed the utilities’ position, which was that those who have rooftop panels don’t pay their fair share of costs for maintaining the grid, which shifts expenses disproportionately to non-solar customers.
—Malena Carollo, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
El Niño is characterized by unusually warm waters along the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean, and a series of shifts in winds and precipitation patterns in the atmosphere.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026
But Stellantis’ push is a prime example of broader market shifts away from all-electric vehicles and a way carmakers can more quickly get hybrid vehicles — which have been increasingly in demand even before oil prices spiked — to market, potentially at a lower capital cost.
—Michael Wayland, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026
Long work hours, overnight shifts, sleep disorders, and extended periods of driving can all contribute to exhaustion.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Mar. 2026
Broader societal shifts might be at play.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
But that's enough to witness a landscape that shifts between rainforests, riverine communities, and wetlands.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2026
December 22 – January 19 Perspective shifts may reshape your upcoming plans.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
But running through even two or three of them shifts you from passive label reader to active evaluator.
—Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
The law shifts the financial burden of paying brokers from renters to landlords.
—Mahsa Saeidi, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
However, for Rose Reese’s return also shifts attention back toward Rose’s postseason outlook.
—D’joumbarey Moreau, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
The team now shifts its focus to Sunday, when the Current will face the San Diego Wave at the Coachella Invitational.
—Melanie Anzidei, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
When a word feels too abstract, Jacobs shifts the phrasing, lowers the tempo or elongates a syllable until Siena grasps it.
—Reylee Billingsley, AZCentral.com, 7 Feb. 2026
In the ad, Yang and Hamm appear to be a bit salty that they weren’t invited to a party on Ritz island, though The Avengers star quickly shifts their mood, and the three jet ski through the sands of the bash.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
Yet what makes the storytelling so unique is how the film shifts perspectives.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 1 Feb. 2026
It shifts responsibility from the individual to the organization.
—Jennifer Jay Palumbo, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
So there is room to add more shifts.
—Charlotte Observer, 11 Mar. 2026
The commission’s decision backed the utilities’ position, which was that those who have rooftop panels don’t pay their fair share of costs for maintaining the grid, which shifts expenses disproportionately to non-solar customers.
—Malena Carollo, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
El Niño is characterized by unusually warm waters along the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean, and a series of shifts in winds and precipitation patterns in the atmosphere.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026
But Stellantis’ push is a prime example of broader market shifts away from all-electric vehicles and a way carmakers can more quickly get hybrid vehicles — which have been increasingly in demand even before oil prices spiked — to market, potentially at a lower capital cost.
—Michael Wayland, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026
Long work hours, overnight shifts, sleep disorders, and extended periods of driving can all contribute to exhaustion.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Mar. 2026
Broader societal shifts might be at play.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
But that's enough to witness a landscape that shifts between rainforests, riverine communities, and wetlands.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2026
December 22 – January 19 Perspective shifts may reshape your upcoming plans.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shifts
Verb
-
As the train moves through the Hudson Valley and up toward the Canadian border, riverfront towns give way to wide expanses of water and distant mountain peaks.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The bodywork also moves now — the wings literally adjust as the car moves around the track, which sounds made up but isn’t.—
Alex Kirshner,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 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
-
The Senate amendment changes the availability of two expensive drugs – Biktarvy and Descovy.—
Jeffrey Schweers,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Mar. 2026
-
When Amisa dies, Szu’s life changes drastically.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Sweet Caroline swaps the typical dinner-and-drinks routine for something way more interactive.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Reid shares videos of her skating journey to more than 46,000 Instagram followers, and Inclusive Skating swaps coaching tips and competition dates.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Our awkward hero copes with grief through humor while navigating relationships with her type-A sister (Sian Clifford), her nasty stepmother (Olivia Colman), and, in season 2, a hot priest (Andrew Scott).—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Mar. 2026
-
New secrets about the city’s origins arise, and the social structure struggles as the bunker copes with fallout from last season.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Starting a garden means walking into a hardware store and facing walls of tools engineered to separate you from your cash.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Trump has tried to continue his tariffs via other means, although his latest across-the-board 15% tariff is limited to 150 days unless Congress votes to extend it.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Every festival has had to think about questions being pushed over the last few years, with horrible wars going on in in Ukraine and in Gaza and elsewhere, and a lot of political movements building up around them, and with a lot of political pressure on cultural events, including film festivals.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Mar. 2026
-
None could tame its political furies; its covert operations, which killed more than a thousand Americans in Lebanon, Iraq, and Afghanistan; or its expansion, through the creation of like-minded extremist movements, across the Middle East.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
One thing that won’t change as the business relocates is its emphasis on hospitality.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The historic Cunningham Piano Company building in the Germantown section of Philadelphia will soon close its doors before the nearly 135-year-old business relocates its functions to King of Prussia.—
Joe Holden,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shifts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shifts. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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