shaft

1
as in beam
a narrow sharply defined line of light radiating from an object shafts of late-afternoon sunlight pierced the blinds and streaked the floor

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2
as in spear
a weapon with a long straight handle and sharp head or blade the footmen set their shafts so as to form a bank of steel against the enemy's charging cavalry

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3
as in injustice
unfair or inadequate treatment of someone or something or an instance of this the homeowners who were bought out are convinced they got the shaft in that deal

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Examples 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 shaft The luxury six-story hotel burned for 26 hours after a fire started in its wooden elevator shaft. Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2025 Or waste could also be deposited in deep shafts where two tectonic plates meet and the waste could be left to slide down into the Earth's molten mantle. David Szondy, New Atlas, 28 Dec. 2024 Uncovering a horrific site Excavations took place at the Charterhouse Warren shaft, which is part of a limestone plateau, in the 1970s and 1980s as part of an effort to better understand the subterranean cave system. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024 Plus, archeologists found cattle bones mixed in with the human remains in the Charterhouse Warren shaft, indicating the community had plenty to eat. Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 15 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shaft 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaft
Noun
  • The half-acre property features the one-bedroom historic home, which has been preserved with original period details like a Rumford cooking fireplace, exposed beams, wide-plank hardwood floors, and windows.
    Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 12 Jan. 2025
  • Across the floor, Cal took to the beam, another one of their strengths.
    Caroline Price, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • This is not so in Poland, where the government of former EU Council President and current prime minister, Donald Tusk, looks not for tools but for weapons — spears to throw at its friends abroad and knives to jab at its critics at home.
    Matt Boyse, National Review, 7 Jan. 2025
  • The same steps where, four years earlier, Trump flags were waved above the frenzied crowd and wielded like spears; where an officer was dragged facedown to be beaten with an American flag on a pole and another was pulled into the scrum to be kicked and stomped.
    Dan Barry, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • This did not look like a team which sensed injustice.
    Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
  • The Uyghurs will remain outsiders to the global outrage machine, and some injustices will be considered less unjust than others.
    Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Heavy snow could in turn make temperatures feel even colder, since fallen snow both absorbs and reflects the sun's rays.
    Rachel Treisman, NPR, 2 Jan. 2025
  • For stunning sunrise views, plan an early morning trip to the top of Cadillac Mountain, which is said to be the first place in the country where the sun's rays touch land.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 1 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Instead, General Livius duels Commodus with javelins for the fate of Rome in a makeshift arena made of centurion shields.
    James Grebey, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024
  • Exceptions from that are pole vault and javelin because athletes are moving with so much force that the spike needs to penetrate the surface to avoid injury.
    Liam Tharme, The Athletic, 11 Aug. 2024
Noun
  • Those states, along with my firm, Alliance Defending Freedom, asked the Supreme Court to right the wrongs of the lower courts.
    Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
  • If Cooper had a meaningful chance to right his Michigan wrongs in a postseason tournament?
    Jason Lloyd, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Among the artifacts found at the site were 119 lances and spears, eight swords, five knives, three arrowheads, one axe, a bridle, fragments of a bugle, fragments of at least two oath rings and several bronze and iron objects that have not been identified yet, according to the press release.
    Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 4 Dec. 2024
  • Eastwood put on his armor and galloped down a course on Tinkerbell, hitting a practice target with a lance at Hemphill's property.
    Claire Osborn, Austin American-Statesman, 12 Mar. 2024
Noun
  • These surfaces could be icy and slippery, increasing your risk of a fall and injury.
    Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
  • The Pelicans were unlikely to move him anyway, as teams that interacted with them before his injury found New Orleans’ asking price was extraordinarily high.
    Christian Clark, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Shaft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaft. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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