shifty

adjective

ˈshif-tē How to pronounce shifty (audio)
Definition of shiftynext
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 That is, until the defense brought pressure and star defensive lineman Zach Sieler pushed past the rookie offensive lineman with ease and got to Malik Willis before the shifty quarterback could make a move. — Miami Herald, 1 Aug. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for shifty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shifty
  1. shady
  2. deceptive
  3. sneaky
  4. fraudulent
  5. crooked
  6. dishonest
Adjective
  • The series contemplates topics like shady lending practices by financial institutions — something that will resonate deeply with today’s economy — and the ethics of placing oneself in a news story.
    — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Melanie’s sister, Steph, begged Melanie to leave Sincere because of his compulsive lying and shady behavior.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of shady
Adjective
  • The technology was also tested against deceptive behaviour, an in a different scenario, fishing boats appeared to retreat while vessels from another direction accelerated toward the coastguard ship.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The siblings are likely to dispute Jeanie’s characterization of their actions as deceptive and clandestine, perhaps by pointing to communications with their sister and her responses.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of deceptive
Adjective
  • That said, the researchers see the 32% average higher spend as a clear outcome and an opportunity for retailers, whether the extra spending was driven by sneaky nudging or by AI helping consumers shop smarter.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2026
  • This recipe has a few sneaky tricks that Grandma loves to keep secret.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of sneaky
Adjective
  • Police said Pabst later learned that the pickup documents were fraudulent.
    — Saleen Martin, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Washington rejected the legitimacy of the 2018 election that returned Maduro to office and also considered his 2024 reelection fraudulent.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of fraudulent
Adjective
  • The workers would be fined if their tails were dirty, their satin ears crooked.
    — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Kennedy’s Albany is a vital, violent place, a hothouse of gangsters, pool hustlers, bums, crooked politicians, and showgirls.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of crooked
Adjective
  • There are no controversies and any attempt to generate them is dishonest and disingenuous.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2026
  • If a claim is substantiated, the plagiarist is seen as sloppy or lazy at best, and fundamentally dishonest at worst.
    — Roger J. Kreuz, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of dishonest

Browse Nearby Words

shifts
shifty
shigellosis
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shifty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shifty. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All