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
It’s been a big offseason for the dynamic receiver, a shifty route runner who’s not the biggest guy, at 6-foot and165 pounds, but his ball skills are elite.
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Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 June 2026
Catalina suffers from an unspecified mental disability, which Saavedra, who is not handicapped, performs in an arguably inappropriate register of fidgety hands and shifty-eyed glances.
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Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Wiggins wears a shifty bowler hat and takes notes on Jol and Louisa, then reports back to Frances.
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Alice Burton,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
Here, his work leans into the shifty uncanniness of Altman’s two (or more)-facedness.
—
Cath Virginia,
The Verge,
11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shifty
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 June 2026
Catalina suffers from an unspecified mental disability, which Saavedra, who is not handicapped, performs in an arguably inappropriate register of fidgety hands and shifty-eyed glances.
—
Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Wiggins wears a shifty bowler hat and takes notes on Jol and Louisa, then reports back to Frances.
—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
Here, his work leans into the shifty uncanniness of Altman’s two (or more)-facedness.
—
Cath Virginia,
The Verge,
11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shifty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shifty
Adjective
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The weather service also cautions the heat index is calculated for shady areas only.
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That makes these networks valuable for people trying to hide mass scraping, fake ad clicks, account attacks or other shady activity.
Adjective
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Shadow fleet vessels disguise their identity and purpose through a broad range of deceptive activities, including spoofing their locations and destinations.
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The complaint alleged deceptive advertising and other misconduct.
Adjective
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From shopping for clothes to nailing Parisian style in the heart of the city itself to snagging groceries to make a meal at your Airbnb, these bags are a sneaky hack to streamline your travel days.
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Bunting and Matthews had sneaky-good chemistry on the ice and off it.
Adjective
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All three Republican candidates apparently hired the same signature gathering firm to collect signatures, many of which appear to have been fraudulent.
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However, because agentic systems can execute actions independently, an error can become a severe operational failure, such as authorizing fraudulent transactions or deleting mission-critical databases.
Adjective
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Better known among seasoned riders as the Triple Nickel, the route makes for one of the most crooked roads in the Midwest, if not the country.
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There’ll be something else to keep the crooked numbers away, don’t worry.
Adjective
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For millions of individuals and businesses who rely on professional preparers, the answer portends a frightening prospect if the return preparer is dishonest.
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Her attorneys contend the defendants used the litigation to portray her as dishonest, intimidate potential witnesses, fuel a public relations campaign against her and drive up the cost of her legal defense.
Cite this Entry
“Shifty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shifty. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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