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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shifty
The backcourt duo of Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, also known as the StudBudz, are shifty, tough shot-making guards who can get hot in a hurry.
—
Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
By halftime, the shifty Jordan – the Trojans’ starter – had carried it five times for 42 yards and a score.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 31 Aug. 2025
The running backs should again be fast and shifty, led by juniors Kameron Lee, Elijah McCluster, a transfer from East River, sophomore Bennie Johnson and senior Duante Wallace.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2025
Ross is nimble enough to outrun those comparisons, shifty enough to outrun those expectations, and fast enough to outrun Horton’s shadow.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shifty
Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
By halftime, the shifty Jordan – the Trojans’ starter – had carried it five times for 42 yards and a score.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 31 Aug. 2025
The running backs should again be fast and shifty, led by juniors Kameron Lee, Elijah McCluster, a transfer from East River, sophomore Bennie Johnson and senior Duante Wallace.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2025
Ross is nimble enough to outrun those comparisons, shifty enough to outrun those expectations, and fast enough to outrun Horton’s shadow.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shifty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shifty
Adjective
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At the time, many bettors turned to social media to say that something shady occurred regarding prop bets involving his stats for that night.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
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Plants bloom well in shady locations and fill the late-summer gap with narrow, upright panicles packed with white or pink blooms.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Dealers and lenders have long engaged in deceptive and predatory practices that jack up prices for car buyers in order to line their pockets.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Oct. 2025
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This looks like an attempt to clean up their devastated public image following the Federal Trade Commission’s strong BOTS Act and deceptive practices case against them.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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So sneaky that some play a deadly game of hide and seek.—
NPR,
NPR,
24 Oct. 2025
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The Irish have been sneaky good after halftime all season, even during those losses to Miami and Texas A&M.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Websites with unusually long browser names or a lack of searchable company representatives or contact information could be fraudulent.—
Tamia Fowlkes,
jsonline.com,
24 Oct. 2025
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Trump wasted no time in taking to Truth Social to lambast the video as fake and fraudulent.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Poulaines hurt the wearer’s feet and could make their toe bones crooked.—
Michael Watson,
The Conversation,
20 Oct. 2025
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Barry Cooper, the colorful former police officer turned scourge of crooked cops, couldn’t attend the screening of a new film about him at the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival in Arkansas.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Matthiessen, not without reason, portrays the Bureau as paranoid, dishonest, and in league with corporate interests.—
Maggie Doherty,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
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For that incredibly dishonest assessment that actually did a disservice to the country, Obama is held up to widespread praise by Democrats and others, even winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shifty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shifty. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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