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
White runs crisp routes and is the kind of true, shifty slot guy that Denver doesn’t have in its top receiver mix.
—
Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 8 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
And the staff lined up just to say goodbye / Tiny tear in his shifty little eye.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shifty
Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 8 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
And the staff lined up just to say goodbye / Tiny tear in his shifty little eye.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shifty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shifty
Adjective
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In the South, cool-season grasses are often grown in shady areas of the landscape or seeded over Bermuda grass for winter color.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
17 Aug. 2025
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These shady characters are only part of a long list of ne’er-do-wells.—
Norman B. Gildin,
Sun Sentinel,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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These emails are loaded with deceptive links that lead to malware infections, and the consequences can be severe.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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The Center for Democracy and Technology, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and American Civil Liberties Union say the software companies push deceptive marketing practices, exploit fear, normalize invasion of privacy and erode trust.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Micky van de Ven’s goal, the opener on 39 minutes, came from a sneaky tactic which saw his new captain, and fellow centre-back, Cristian Romero peel towards the edge of the box and head the ball back into a dangerous area from Vicario’s free kick.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
14 Aug. 2025
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As his August 10 home run illustrated, Collins has some sneaky pop in his bat.—
Bernie Pleskoff,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Jones was charged with three felonies — theft of a credit card, criminal use of personal identification information, and fraudulent use of a credit card over two times within six months, the Tallahassee Democrat reported.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Candidates flagged for fraudulent behavior had a 27% lower quality of hire than their honest peers, according to the same study.—
Michael Fitzsimmons,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The radio-wavelength image shows that the black hole’s jet is not straight, but is crooked with three distinct bends.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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In one image, Scales, who had won a Military Cross for his bravery at the front, wears a crooked grimace that suggests recent anguish.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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At the heart of Trump’s complaints is a familiar refrain: The media is not only biased, but dishonest, corrupt and dangerous.—
Stephanie A,
The Conversation,
4 Aug. 2025
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So, in that moment, the things that are coming out of my mouth are not dishonest.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
22 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shifty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shifty. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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