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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shifty
When Tóth arrives in the City of Brotherly Love, he’s welcomed by his cousin with open-ish arms (the shifty cousin is played by a brilliant Alessandro Nivola, whose beaming face betrays a war of attrition between loyalty and assimilation).
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 1 Sep. 2024
And every man who’s ever lived is a shifty cum salesman, OK? 100%.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 5 Aug. 2024
And there were some subsequent elements to the entire Watergate experience that were a little bit on the shifty side, as Washington, D.C., has a tendency to be.
—Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 July 2024
When she's shown doubling as a timid housemaid to a shifty burglar in a snap, our feels for this iteration of Selina Kyle went Hatha-up-and-away.
—Rendy Jones, EW.com, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for shifty 
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 1 Sep. 2024
And every man who’s ever lived is a shifty cum salesman, OK? 100%.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 5 Aug. 2024
And there were some subsequent elements to the entire Watergate experience that were a little bit on the shifty side, as Washington, D.C., has a tendency to be.
—Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 July 2024
When she's shown doubling as a timid housemaid to a shifty burglar in a snap, our feels for this iteration of Selina Kyle went Hatha-up-and-away.
—Rendy Jones, EW.com, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for shifty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shifty
Adjective
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Doe is strictly instructed by Muna not to answer her phone, while arrangements to meet a stranger on the other side to continue their journey sound shady enough even before the man fails to show up.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
25 Jan. 2025
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One side of the resort might be shady and firm, the other side might be in the sun and soft!—
Gillian Telling,
People.com,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Doing so could constitute a deceptive trade practice, and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office or local district attorneys could then investigate to determine the cause of the price hike.—
Seth Klamann,
The Denver Post,
20 Jan. 2025
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The 81-page federal complaint charging Universal Music Group with defamation, harassment and payola (deceptive business practices) is a page-turner that seems penned more for press and public consumption (and perhaps label renegotiation) than judicial inspection.—
Bill Hochberg,
Forbes,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Breast cancer entered my life in a very sneaky way.—
Victoria Uwumarogie,
Essence,
17 Jan. 2025
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Now, a team at Nagoya University in Japan has figured out two of the primary ways that these sneaky crickets manage to survive in such a hostile environment.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Officials said officers made contact with the female suspect, who was attempting to cash a fraudulent check and fled in a black Jeep Wrangler when approached.—
Stepheny Price,
Fox News,
18 Jan. 2025
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Kenworthy said successful campaigns often attract significant scrutiny, especially as fraudulent fundraisers for a wide range of causes have become more common.—
Connor Sheets,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Nothing could measure up to all that crooked darkness.—
Sam Thielman,
New York Times,
20 Jan. 2025
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When the speedboat neared the pearly shore, a crooked line of hotel staff dressed in white and navy began to wave.—
Mary Holland,
Robb Report,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But for Williams, there was nothing dishonest about celebrating a dunk.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Jan. 2025
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And Kelly claimed that in his responses, Hegseth has been dishonest with the American people.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
14 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near shifty
Cite this Entry
“Shifty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shifty. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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