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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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 shifty guard snaked his way into the lane and knocked down a floater over the outstretched arms of Florida’s 6-9 forward Thomas Haugh a few minutes later.
—
Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2025
Houston was simply without an answer for the electric, shifty guard who punished each and every defender that was put in his crosshairs.
—Kelly Iko, The Athletic, 18 Mar. 2025
Rocking a New Jersey accent as Joyce’s friend Cynthia, Moore gives a shifty performance that’s key to the success of this twisty non-linear mystery.
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2025
Occult pyrotechnics and bloody business of all kinds are not allowed to obscure the interior shifts of the shifty Macbeths.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shifty
Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2025
Houston was simply without an answer for the electric, shifty guard who punished each and every defender that was put in his crosshairs.
—Kelly Iko, The Athletic, 18 Mar. 2025
Rocking a New Jersey accent as Joyce’s friend Cynthia, Moore gives a shifty performance that’s key to the success of this twisty non-linear mystery.
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2025
Occult pyrotechnics and bloody business of all kinds are not allowed to obscure the interior shifts of the shifty Macbeths.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shifty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shifty
Adjective
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In the back garden, for example, there’s a shady grove with hammocks and low seating that is one of the couple’s favorite places to enjoy quiet moments.—
Katia Contreras,
Architectural Digest,
19 June 2025
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Best Types of Hibiscus for Hummingbirds Hibiscus plants come in a range of options—from native perennials to tropical annuals—all of which attract hummingbirds and are suited for sunny to partly shady spaces, says Myers.—
Anne Readel,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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In the suit, filed Friday, Newsom says that Fox News had used deceptive edits to claim that the governor had lied in saying that Trump had not called him about deploying National Guard troops during the L.A. protests.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
27 June 2025
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Florida is leading the way in what can become a national movement to crack down on hospitals’ deceptive and unfair billing practices.—
Cynthia A. Fisher,
Sun Sentinel,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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Instead, studies suggest that, in practice, work and other eligibility requirements achieve a lot of savings in a sort of sneaky way.—
Greg Rosalsky,
NPR,
26 June 2025
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At age 17, Brown learned the truth, thanks to Barr’s fame — and, allegedly, a sneaky ex-boyfriend, the comedian recalled to Bunnie.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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Execution: With these tools in place, fraudsters can open fraudulent accounts, apply for loans and carry out high-value transactions, all while appearing completely legitimate.—
Parya Lotfi,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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This includes Amazon allowing small businesses to make multiple appeals when fighting a fraudulent return.—
Katie Tarasov,
CNBC,
21 June 2025
Adjective
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What Pete Rose did was selfish, illicit, shameful, crooked.—
John Nogowski,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2025
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Meanwhile, a crooked wayfarer named St. Christophe (Jackson) is hot on Broadway’s trail, catching up with the young man and revealing that his dead dad wasn’t, in fact, a stand-up guy.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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Avoid generic, spammy tactics, over-automation or dishonest ploys.—
Samuel Darwin,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
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The reasons for such concerns start with the shockingly dishonest campaign for Proposition 1A, the 2008 state ballot measure allocating $9.95 billion in bond seed money for a network of bullet trains linking Los Angeles and San Francisco.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shifty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shifty. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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