1
as in to move
to change the place or position of
he shifted the vase closer to the wall so that it wouldn't get knocked over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to twitch
to change one's position
she shifted uncomfortably in her seat throughout the interview
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to change
to pass from one form, state, or level to another
she watched the aurora in fascination as its colors shifted from green to blue
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to exchange
to give up (something) and take something else in return
my brother and I shifted seats just before takeoff so that he could sit by the window
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in to cope
to meet one's day-to-day needs
left the others to shift for themselves
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in means
an action planned or taken to achieve a desired result
desperate shifts to stave off financial disaster
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2
as in shifting
the act or an instance of changing position
made a small shift to the left to make more room on the bench
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of shift
Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025
The move was supposed to last only two years, but plans shifted when Nate, 37, received orders for a year-long unaccompanied tour in Korea.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 21 Oct. 2025
The desire to feel at peace about finances may prompt vocational shifts.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shift
Verb
Indeed, this policy could change if voters’ views shift on the matter—and an aging population may prompt that change.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025
The move was supposed to last only two years, but plans shifted when Nate, 37, received orders for a year-long unaccompanied tour in Korea.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
The approach marks a shift toward anticipating cancer’s next move rather than reacting to it.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 21 Oct. 2025
The desire to feel at peace about finances may prompt vocational shifts.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shift
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shift
Verb
-
Green’s 49-yard run scramble moved the Razorbacks to the Texas A&M 39 just before the 2-minute timeout of the fourth quarter.—
Matt Jones,
Arkansas Online,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Calderhead focuses on the British tactic, enacted two days after the initial attack, of moving their fleet into Flushing Bay to anchor for the night.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Her hand twitched from the heat.—
Zuzana Říhová,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Any dairy farmer can tell you that biting flies are a pestilent scourge for cattle herds, which is why one so often sees cows throwing their heads, stamping their feet, flicking their tails, and twitching their skin—desperately trying to shake off the nasty creatures.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
After the Supreme Court ruling, Holt said, the department changed its grooming policy to allow closely cropped beards.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Scripts are being changed now, Deadline reported, because the move was unexpected.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The comments came as Israel and Hamas exchanged the bodies of captives, a key demand of the truce.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
22 Oct. 2025
-
For their part, Max and Christian fight before docking and exchange some F-bombs on the bow just for good measure.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The virtual event is intended to give participants emotional support, new coping skills and encouragement.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Trad wives cope with this by seeking to marry men who will provide for them.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Smokeless tobacco is considered anything from snuff, snus, chewing tobacco, moist snuff and any other tobacco intended to be used or consumed by any means.—
Dana Afana,
Freep.com,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The administration has argued its work is a long-overdue means of rooting out waste, fraud and abuse.—
Jessie Opoien,
jsonline.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Such unsupervised conversational shape-shifting would make this rogue Humbert particularly charismatic.—
Vauhini Vara,
The Atlantic,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Jones concluded this decline likely reflects fewer large investors and less intense buyer competition, with a housing market shifting, slowly, toward more balance.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Sitakes landed in the Bay Area briefly before relocating to Provo to be closer to extended family.—
Christopher Kamrani,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
-
During an April 2024 interview with Vanity Fair Spain, Richard opened up about why the pair made the decision to relocate to Spain, where his wife is originally from.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shift. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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