Synonyms of shifty

shifty

adjective

ˈshif-tē 

1

as in shady

given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions

shifty politicians making deals to channel federal funds into their districts

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shady
• sneaky
• slippery
• sly
• furtive
• stealthy
• crooked
• dark
• deceptive
• cunning
• cheating
• treacherous
• slick
• sneaking
• wily
• clandestine
• secretive
• crafty
• close
• dishonest
• devious
• foxy
• lying
• guileful
• deceitful
• artful
• duplicitous
• covert
• deceiving
• tricky
• untrustworthy
• underhanded
• reticent
• mendacious
• underhand
• insidious
• perfidious
• closemouthed
• untruthful
• serpentine
• knavish
• two-faced
• trickish
• dissembling
• double-dealing
• defrauding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straightforward
• forthright
• direct
• open
• plain
• frank
• candid
• plainspoken
• trustworthy
• honest
• aboveboard
• truthful
• foursquare

2

as in deceptive

given to or marked by cheating and deception

shifty practices such as turning back the odometers on used cars

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deceptive
• fraudulent
• shady
• crooked
• dishonest
• fast
• rogue
• duplicitous
• false
• underhanded
• sharp
• bent
• underhand
• guileful
• treacherous
• unscrupulous
• double-dealing
• artful
• deceiving
• cunning
• deceitful
• unprincipled
• wily
• subtle
• unethical
• slick
• sly
• slippery
• crafty
• sneaky
• cagey
• beguiling
• foxy
• delusive
• unconscionable
• devious
• furtive
• tricky
• insidious
• perfidious
• delusory
• deluding
• trickish
• sneaking
• defrauding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• honest
• straight
• ethical
• honorable
• decent
• conscientious
• scrupulous
• upright
• just
• aboveboard
• straightforward
• forthright

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of shifty

Coach Kyle Shanahan remained very high on Pearsall and was excited about an offense that would have newcomer Mike Evans, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey setting up the shifty Pearsall to beat defensive backs one-on-one. — Matt Barrows, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026

He’s joined by shifty freshmen Rasean Jones and Terrious Favors, while upperclassman transfers Akeem Wright and Darren Morris add an extra layer of height and size to the group. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 26 July 2026

His long white oval scleras and perfect-circle black pupils, sometimes open and sometimes closed, are always inexplicably expressive—managing to seem happy, sad, scared, sleepy, shifty, angry, eager, alarmed, mischievous, or murderous. — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 7 July 2026

It’s been a big offseason for the dynamic receiver, a shifty route runner who’s not the biggest guy, at 6-foot and165 pounds, but his ball skills are elite. — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 June 2026