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
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shifty
Thursday’s standalone broadcast gives us two shifty sides with top-10 paces so far.
—
Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
The Miami Dolphins have an assortment of tall receivers, athletic receivers, speedy receivers, and shifty receivers.
—Omar Kelly
october 24, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Why else would Lee tell someone as shifty as Ray so much about what’s going on?
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
Redshirt freshman Sire Gaines had 12 carries for 69 yards to lead the way, and sixth-year player Malik Sherrod had 49 yards on just nine carries, showcasing some nifty, shifty moves between the tackles on a couple of runs.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shifty
Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
The Miami Dolphins have an assortment of tall receivers, athletic receivers, speedy receivers, and shifty receivers.
—Omar Kelly
october 24, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Why else would Lee tell someone as shifty as Ray so much about what’s going on?
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
Redshirt freshman Sire Gaines had 12 carries for 69 yards to lead the way, and sixth-year player Malik Sherrod had 49 yards on just nine carries, showcasing some nifty, shifty moves between the tackles on a couple of runs.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shifty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shifty
Adjective
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Mary sends me shady TikToks about the other girls sometimes.—
Brianne Tracy,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Full sun today, combined with winds, should help with melting of ice, with the exception shady spots in the Hill Country and into northwest Travis and Williamson counties.—
Newsroom Meteorologist,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Locked doors, bloody bits in trunks, deceptive lovers with ill intentions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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Even one of the more reputable internet weather personalities, Ryan Hall, whose YouTube channel staffs a team of meteorologists, and who has more than three million subscribers, often opts for flashy graphics and deceptive provocations to increase engagement.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Cereal The cereal aisle can be sneaky.—
Sarah Anzlovar,
Verywell Health,
26 Jan. 2026
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Except, when the rehearsals start in earnest and boys enter the duo’s orbit in after-school adventures, their already off-balance dual existence and sneaky one-upmanship worsens.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Investors in a fraudulent clean energy scheme might be one step closer to getting their money back, after the partner of a Chicago area businessman pleaded guilty to federal charges.—
Steffanie Dupree,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
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In California alone, nearly a third of all community college applicants in 2024 were identified as fraudulent, according to the California Community Colleges, the state's administrative body for the community college system.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Ron Leibman and Paul Sand round out their gang, with Zero Mostel as the crooked attorney who serves as a go-between.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
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Descend its famously crooked path, flanked by cascading hydrangeas and storybook Edwardian homes—then watch cars zigzag through eight tight switchbacks while tourists crowd the sidewalks, snapping photos of its surreal descent.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Like the other characters in the book, Harper is a stock figure, the brainiac child, but her fearlessness in the face of a crumbling, dishonest world reinvigorates the type.—
Hannah Gold,
New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2026
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The American public gained a negative impression of McCarthy–many seeing him as bullying, reckless, and dishonest.—
Chris John Amorosino,
Hartford Courant,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shifty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shifty. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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