1
as in relocated
to change the place or position of
he shifted the vase closer to the wall so that it wouldn't get knocked over
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in moved
to change one's position
she shifted uncomfortably in her seat throughout the interview
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in changed
to pass from one form, state, or level to another
she watched the aurora in fascination as its colors shifted from green to blue
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in exchanged
to give up (something) and take something else in return
my brother and I shifted seats just before takeoff so that he could sit by the window
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in coped
to meet one's day-to-day needs
left the others to shift for themselves
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shifted
During the acceptance speech for Two People Exchanging Saliva, an awkward moment occurred when the microphone started to descend and the camera shifted to host Conan O'Brien, who was still waiting for the speeches to end.
—
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
However, the administration’s legal strategy has shifted several times in recent weeks, creating a web of confusion and uncertainty about the fate of the law firms’ executive order legal challenge.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 16 Mar. 2026
Spots and roles on the red carpet had shifted so that international media had a greater presence, and the American outlets that did secure a spot often had a public figure, like a reality TV star and/or influencer, as their red carpet correspondent.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 16 Mar. 2026
Some banks and consulting firms have shifted staff to remote work after Iran threatened economic targets.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 16 Mar. 2026
The challenges certainly will be there, with the Heat decidedly having shifted from the soft spots of their schedule, the next six against the Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and then a pair against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2026
Their roles had shifted with the Nets’ season, often tied to injuries and the constant churn of a rebuilding roster.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
When the firefighters returned, the evening quickly shifted from quiet anticipation to lively conversation as the team joined the guests for dinner.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
This dynamic has shifted the balance of political power away from ordinary voters and toward those with the means to fund large‑scale political operations.
—Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
However, the administration’s legal strategy has shifted several times in recent weeks, creating a web of confusion and uncertainty about the fate of the law firms’ executive order legal challenge.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 16 Mar. 2026
Spots and roles on the red carpet had shifted so that international media had a greater presence, and the American outlets that did secure a spot often had a public figure, like a reality TV star and/or influencer, as their red carpet correspondent.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 16 Mar. 2026
Some banks and consulting firms have shifted staff to remote work after Iran threatened economic targets.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 16 Mar. 2026
The challenges certainly will be there, with the Heat decidedly having shifted from the soft spots of their schedule, the next six against the Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and then a pair against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2026
Their roles had shifted with the Nets’ season, often tied to injuries and the constant churn of a rebuilding roster.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
When the firefighters returned, the evening quickly shifted from quiet anticipation to lively conversation as the team joined the guests for dinner.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
This dynamic has shifted the balance of political power away from ordinary voters and toward those with the means to fund large‑scale political operations.
—Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shifted
Verb
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Why is the cemetery being relocated?—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Cambria relocated to the island and signed more than 400 Cuban players over the next three decades, turning Havana into Major League Baseball’s most prominent talent pipeline before players began arriving from the rest of the Caribbean.—
Tyler Carmona,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The win moved the Kings into the final wild-card playoff spot in the Western Conference.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Late last year, Arthurell moved into an existing foster home in Sydney, where two children were already living under the care of an elderly woman, 2GB reported.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The optimists insist nothing has changed and business as usual will resume shortly.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
17 Mar. 2026
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As my clientbase ages, their needs have changed to not only collect bucket list experiences – but work with their growing family for celebrations.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The emails were originally unearthed during a sweeping internal affairs investigation, which revealed in 2015 that Miami Beach officers had exchanged hundreds of racist, sexist and pornographic messages via their city email accounts.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Email trail The Dallas Morning News reviewed nearly 5,000 pages of emails exchanged over the past 12 months among city officials, consultants and others involved in discussions about the future of City Hall.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Each generation showed small variations, and just like in nature, those that coped the best passed on their characteristics.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Chelsea coped better than many fans had feared in Palmer’s absence.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Peru has seen eight presidents in the past decade, with several heads of state removed by Congress after corruption accusations.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
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Some of the future document cuts after the initial website launch will include public city datasets, which staff said could be removed if they aren’t required to be posted online and aren’t frequently accessed.—
Chaya Tong,
Austin American Statesman,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Kearse twitched briefly after the lethal drugs began entering his system but stopped moving several minutes later.—
Freida Frisaro,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Mar. 2026
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Through the scope, a polar bear twitched on the ice, 25 yards in front of me.—
Scott Haugen,
Outdoor Life,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Piedmont’s data shows the overall winter season was colder in several months compared with the previous winter, though the differences varied by month.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Mar. 2026
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The fight While punishments for people who've caused fatal crashes while high have varied wildly from state to state, Resecker's sentence stands out for being unusually tough, especially given his young age, according to a USA TODAY review of similar cases.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shifted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shifted. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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