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
Renfrow, when on the field, has been hard to cover, as he is both shifty and quick in his routes.
—
Mike Kaye
august 4, Charlotte Observer, 4 Aug. 2025
Guarding shorter, shiftier wideouts like Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a different challenge, but Woolen is usually well equipped to handle those matchups.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 26 July 2025
Claire, who blows in and out of Kate’s life, turns up one night pleading for help and telling tales about an accident involving her shifty boyfriend Ryan (Edmund Donovan).
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 12 June 2025
By associating vibes with AI, doing so is an outrageous and shifty means of subliminally implying that AI is mysterious, perhaps bordering on possessing sentience.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shifty
Mike Kaye
august 4, Charlotte Observer, 4 Aug. 2025
Guarding shorter, shiftier wideouts like Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a different challenge, but Woolen is usually well equipped to handle those matchups.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 26 July 2025
Claire, who blows in and out of Kate’s life, turns up one night pleading for help and telling tales about an accident involving her shifty boyfriend Ryan (Edmund Donovan).
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 12 June 2025
By associating vibes with AI, doing so is an outrageous and shifty means of subliminally implying that AI is mysterious, perhaps bordering on possessing sentience.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shifty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shifty
Adjective
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Another reason is that most EVs don’t use wires in their steering column so they can’t be hotwired and some have cameras and motion detection that deter shady people that get too close to the vehicle.—
Keenan Thompson,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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Leaving it longer, especially in shady areas, helps the grass develop a stronger root system.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, a group of states led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton separately sued Google for anticompetitive and deceptive practices in its ad business.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
12 Sep. 2025
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Katie’s denial was once again found to be deceptive.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The finale opens with a sneaky cello solo answered by a mischievous violin line.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
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Both teams are desperate to avoid an 0-2 start, and Johnson’s return adds another layer of intrigue to a sneaky-big early season matchup.—
Andy Scholes,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Businesses/nominees cannot obtain votes by any fraudulent or inappropriate means.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
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After a long process of validating legitimate claims and tossing out the ones that were fraudulent or duplicative, Angeion, the company in charge of distributing the payments, has finished its calculations determining how much each individual will get as payments go out starting this month.—
Alix Martichoux,
The Hill,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Their boss, the only one not carrying a blaster, pointed a long crooked finger at Rusty and all the Blasters were raised at Rusty in unison.—
Manuel Muñoz,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
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For a Chicago Cubs lineup that has struggled lately to consistently score runs, let alone put up a crooked number, Friday’s opener against the Colorado Rockies provided the ideal bounce-back environment coming off the sweep in San Francisco.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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These are cheap, dishonest shots against a great intellect, acknowledged by friends and opponents alike.—
James Gaylord,
Oc Register,
15 Sep. 2025
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Industry groups insist that they are committed to weeding out dishonest companies that make false claims or sell dangerous products.—
Suzy Khimm,
NBC news,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shifty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shifty. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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