shaft

Definition of shaftnext
1
as in beam
a narrow sharply defined line of light radiating from an object shafts of late-afternoon sunlight pierced the blinds and streaked the floor

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2
as in spear
a weapon with a long straight handle and sharp head or blade the footmen set their shafts so as to form a bank of steel against the enemy's charging cavalry

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3
as in injustice
unfair or inadequate treatment of someone or something or an instance of this the homeowners who were bought out are convinced they got the shaft in that deal

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shaft In his opening remarks, committee lead lawyer Victor Dawes said the most likely cause of the fire was cigarettes that lit other materials on fire on a platform in an air shaft between two low-level units in Wang Cheong House. ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026 An original metal lift shaft at the top of a spiralling wooden staircase is another nod to the past. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026 In a castle of North Yorkshire, English Heritage archaeologists found a 15-foot shaft to a remarkably large bunker that was built between 1963-64. Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 15 Mar. 2026 The left thumb should point downward along the grip and shaft. Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shaft
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaft
Noun
  • Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which also activate your taillights.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Massive beams repurposed Look up in the great hall and the ceiling becomes part of the backstory.
    David Caraccio April 4, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The two traded heavy shots that spilled throughout the ringside area, with Punk smashing Reigns into the announce table and ring post while Reigns responded with a spear.
    Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
  • There are bundles of taut chives still topped with blossoms, sweet and tender spears of asparagus, and creamy new potatoes all waiting to be snapped up.
    Editors of Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • It was installed in the left‑field concourse last month, six years after the city of Dallas removed it from Love Field following the 2020 protests and national reckoning over racial injustice.
    Marissa Armas, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Since then the institutions of American aging have reproduced rather than ameliorated the inequalities and injustices of the wider American economy.
    Trevor Jackson, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • An iron nucleus, a common cosmic-ray culprit, wouldn’t be affected the same way a proton is and could make that long journey to Earth.
    Phil Plait, Scientific American, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Then the fact that the more distant radio wave pulses aligned with gamma-ray blasts from these pulsars detected by NASA's Fermi Space Telescope indicated to the team that both types of electromagnetic radiation were being emitted from the same non-polar and distant regions around these pulsars.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Look no further than shortstop Mookie Betts this week lauding the effects of throwing a javelin.
    Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Humans have been throwing javelins for a few hundred thousand years, yet performance has largely plateaued.
    R. Alexander Bentley, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Absent that, Blakeman has an excellent case to bring to court to right this wrong.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2026
  • In that sense, the effort to avoid appearing wrong can weaken decision-making.
    Paul Wachtel, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Powered from within, grass seedlings lance out roots and stems, beating any competition.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Their sizes range from 4 inches to 4 feet tall, and their heart- and lance-shaped leaves can be smooth, wavy, or variegated.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Doncic left the game with a left hamstring injury in the middle of the third quarter.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
  • The neighbor was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, which included a broken leg.
    Adam Thompson, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Shaft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaft. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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