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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 shifty
On more than one occasion during team period and in seven-on-seven, Shaw deftly mirrored the shifty Craver.
—
Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 9 Apr. 2026
As a player who thrives on his shifty change of pace, Doncic’s quick start and stop motions put extra load on his hamstrings and put him at risk of reinjury.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Zack James’ shifty drumming hammers out a drum ’n’ bass redux like a panicked heartbeat while Carney Hemler’s bass lurches in slow motion, replicating the gut drop of a horrible realization.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2026
Leite’s most notable game came in the Valkyries’ playoff-clinching win over the Dallas Wings, where the shifty point guard came off the bench and scored 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting while dishing out five assists.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shifty
Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 9 Apr. 2026
As a player who thrives on his shifty change of pace, Doncic’s quick start and stop motions put extra load on his hamstrings and put him at risk of reinjury.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Zack James’ shifty drumming hammers out a drum ’n’ bass redux like a panicked heartbeat while Carney Hemler’s bass lurches in slow motion, replicating the gut drop of a horrible realization.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2026
Leite’s most notable game came in the Valkyries’ playoff-clinching win over the Dallas Wings, where the shifty point guard came off the bench and scored 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting while dishing out five assists.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shifty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shifty
Adjective
-
An ex-con cybersecurity expert, Daniel is among a group of whistleblowers from the shady agency WARDEX who nabbed evidence of a massive, nearly 80-year cover-up that, if revealed, would be a turning point for civilization.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
-
Fleas thrive in damp, shady areas, so think about removing piles of leaves or debris from your yard or garden.—
Emily Hayes,
Martha Stewart,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
The deceptive piece is the marketing.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 June 2026
-
Manaea’s delivery is deceptive because there is crossfire action from a low slot.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Adjective
-
That is what made this email so sneaky.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
-
Houston The Cougars retained their two best players (quarterback Conner Weigman, wide receiver Amare Thomas) and did a sneaky good job of finding fits in the portal to add to a team that went 10-3 last year.—
Sam Khan Jr,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
If a fraudulent provider is uncooperative, unreachable, or no longer operating, the beneficiary may remain reflected in Medicare systems as if an active hospice election still exists.—
Wes Kilgore,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Some financial institutions may be able to reverse charges or flag fraudulent activity if reported quickly.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Trump walks out on Kristen Welker after calling NBC 'crooked' in fiery clash.—
,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
-
From there, Cicket’s life is a crooked line.—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Twelve out of 13 isn’t bad, and to harp on what hadn’t worked during the Hurricanes’ relatively brief march to the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights would be disingenuous, dishonest and dumb.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
-
The use of first-person pronouns is dishonest, but there’s a much deeper issue that goes beyond how a statement is phrased.—
Ted Chiang,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shifty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shifty. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
