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
The former actress is at wit’s end because a shifty developer (Billy Carter) with deep pockets and a Russian girlfriend (Elise Kibler) who is besotted with Richard is making moves to reshape the town that will bring on the demise of its struggling theater.
—
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
The Panthers would like to diversify their receiving room with a speedy, shifty athlete who can make plays after the catch and in the run game.
—Joseph Person, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Dillingham offers something unique on the Bulls roster with his shifty ability to shake defenders and soft-shoe his way to the rim.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
Some have just become kind of shifty.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shifty
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
The Panthers would like to diversify their receiving room with a speedy, shifty athlete who can make plays after the catch and in the run game.
—Joseph Person, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Dillingham offers something unique on the Bulls roster with his shifty ability to shake defenders and soft-shoe his way to the rim.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
Some have just become kind of shifty.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shifty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shifty
Adjective
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In addition to serving as a showrunner, Levy stars as Nicky, an openly gay pastor who gets wrapped up in a shady underworld plot with his flailing sister Morgan (Taylor Ortega).—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Apr. 2026
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They get captured by Hungarian gangsters and have to fight (and kill) their way out of an inn run by a shady former dance prodigy (Uma Thurman).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Also, offering free samples is deceptive marketing, due to evidence that 7-OH is addictive.—
Jack Harvel,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
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Set in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, the grandiosity of MoMA is deceptive.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Faith Hill on why Gen Z is the sneaky-saver generation.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
30 Mar. 2026
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Try rye flour, a sneaky way to add complex flavors, a tender crumb and a little nutrition, especially in sweet baked goods.—
Kara Elder,
Washington Post,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Cherfilus-McCormick is charged with 15 counts, including theft of government funds, money laundering, making and receiving straw donor contributions, and aiding and assisting the preparation of a false and fraudulent statement on a tax return.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
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Both men sold drugs to fund their fraudulent transactions, prosecutors said.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Until then, smuggling weed had been a grand adventure, an escape from a society that had just thrown Prager’s generation into a meat grinder in Vietnam, a repudiation of the crooked politicians and backward preachers and greedy capitalists who were running the world.—
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 2026
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For the most part, this lineup, chock full of All-Stars and Hall of Famers, has struggled to put up crooked numbers.—
Johnny Flores Jr,
New York Times,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Asked about those allegations, Grossi said his role is to provide technical expertise, not to weigh in on whether Iran was honest or dishonest.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
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This is dishonest and partisan.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shifty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shifty. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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