Need another word that means the same as “shift”? Find 150 synonyms and 30 related words for “shift” in this overview.
The synonyms of “Shift” are: change, switch, careen, tilt, wobble, transfer, dislodge, reposition, change over, lurch, pitch, agitate, budge, stir, move, carry, transport, convey, take, bring, bear, lug, cart, haul, fetch, move around, transpose, relocate, rearrange, displace, slide, slip, be displaced, alter, adjust, make adjustments to, adapt, amend, recast, vary, modify, revise, reverse, retract, do a u-turn on, row back, convert, divert, redirect, veer, back, fluctuate, turn, swing, change direction, get rid of, take out, get off, remove, lift, expunge, drink, swallow, gulp, gulp down, guzzle, slurp, attack, down, drink down, drink up, force down, get down, finish off, polish off, drain, empty, imbibe, have, partake of, ingest, consume, sup, sip, lap, switching, duty period, work shift, break, fault, faulting, fracture, geological fault, chemise, sack, displacement, shift key, shifting, transformation, transmutation, shimmy, teddy, movement, transference, conveyance, transposition, alteration, adjustment, adaptation, amendment, recasting, variation, modification, revision, reversal, retraction, sea change, u-turn, rowback, work period, stint, spell of work, stretch, group, crew, gang, team, squad, patrol, dress, gown, robe, stratagem, scheme, subterfuge, expedient, dodge, trick, ruse, wile, artifice, deception, strategy, device, plan
According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “shift” as a noun can have the following definitions:
| adaptation | A film, television drama, or stage play that has been adapted from a written work. The adaptation of teaching strategy to meet students needs. |
| adjustment | The process of adapting to something (such as environmental conditions. Only slight adjustments to the boat are necessary. |
| alteration | The act of making something different (as e.g. the size of a garment. Alterations had to be made. |
| amendment | A minor change or addition designed to improve a text, piece of legislation, etc. You can add some soil texturizing amendments to improve soil drainage. |
| artifice | A deceptive maneuver (especially to avoid capture. The style is not free from the artifices of the period. |
| break | The act of breaking something. Those returning to work after a career break. |
| change | Money given in exchange for the same sum in larger units. We need a change of government. |
| chemise | A woman’s loose-fitting undergarment or nightdress. |
| conveyance | The action of making an idea, feeling, or impression known or understandable to someone. The wife s solicitors will submit a draft conveyance or transfer to the husband s solicitors. |
| crew | The sport of rowing. A graffiti crew called the Syndicate. |
| deception | A thing that deceives. Obtaining property by deception. |
| device | A drawing or design. A rhetorical device. |
| displacement | The volume swept by a reciprocating system, as in a pump or engine. A displacement of 6 8 metres along the San Andreas fault. |
| dodge | The dodging of a bell in change-ringing. The grant system s widespread use as a tax dodge. |
| dress | Clothing of a specified kind for men or women. A dress suit. |
| duty period | Work that you are obliged to perform for moral or legal reasons. |
| expedient | A means to an end; not necessarily a principled or ethical one. The current policy is a political expedient. |
| fault | Responsibility for a bad situation or event. It was his fault she had died. |
| faulting | An imperfection in an object or machine. He studied the faulting of the earth s crust. |
| fracture | A diphthong substituted by fracture. It was a nasty fracture. |
| gang | An organized group of criminals. The machine had a gang of cutter chains on a swivelling head. |
| geological fault | Equipment failure attributable to some defect in a circuit (loose connection or insulation failure or short circuit etc. |
| gown | A dressing gown. The relations between town and gown are always sensitive. |
| group | (in systemic grammar) a level of structure between clause and word, broadly corresponding to phrase in other grammars. A group of boys approached. |
| modification | An event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another. The neighborhood had undergone few modifications since his last visit years ago. |
| move | A player’s turn to change the position of a piece in a board game. An impatient move of his hand. |
| movement | A campaign undertaken by a political social or artistic movement. The slow movement of his violin concerto. |
| patrol | A detachment used for security or reconnaissance. Break the Cubs into sixes and Scouts into patrols. |
| plan | A drawing or diagram made by projection on a horizontal plane especially one showing the layout of a building or one floor of a building. A personal pension plan. |
| recasting | Changing a particular word or phrase. |
| retraction | The act of pulling or holding or drawing a part back. The retraction of the landing gear. |
| reversal | An annulment of a judgement, sentence, or decree made by a lower court or authority. The reversal of the image in the lens. |
| revision | The act of rewriting something. The scheme needs drastic revision. |
| robe | A robe worn especially on formal or ceremonial occasions as an indication of the wearer s rank office or profession. A young man in a fez and ragged robe. |
| rowback | An instance of reversing an earlier decision or previously held opinion. The government was forced into yet more rowbacks on budget cuts. |
| ruse | A deceptive maneuver (especially to avoid capture. Emma tried to think of a ruse to get Paul out of the house. |
| sack | The contents of a sack or the amount it can contain. The sack of Rome. |
| scheme | A secret or underhand plan; a plot. The whole scheme is plunged into darkness bar the light in Victor s house. |
| sea change | A division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land. |
| shift key | A crack in the earth’s crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other. |
| shifting | The act of moving from one place to another. His constant shifting disrupted the class. |
| shimmy | Shaking, especially abnormal vibration of the wheels of a motor vehicle. He could feel the shimmy in the steering wheel. |
| slip | A slippery smoothness. The slip is used to get rid of excess height. |
| spell of work | A psychological state induced by (or as if induced by) a magical incantation. |
| squad | A small squad of policemen trained to deal with a particular kind of crime. The 39 year old actress and her squad snapped some pics together after the show. |
| stint | Limitation of supply or effort. A collector with an eye for quality and the means to indulge it without stint. |
| stratagem | A plan or scheme, especially one used to outwit an opponent or achieve an end. A series of devious stratagems. |
| strategy | The art of planning and directing overall military operations and movements in a war or battle. Time to develop a coherent economic strategy. |
| stretch | A stretch limo. I got up and had a stretch. |
| subterfuge | Something intended to misrepresent the true nature of an activity. I hated all the subterfuges I hated lying to you. |
| switch | A flexible implement used as an instrument of punishment. His switch on abortion cost him the election. |
| switching | The act of changing one thing or position for another. |
| team | Two or more animals, especially horses, in harness together to pull a vehicle. A team of researchers. |
| teddy | A soft toy bear. |
| transference | The redirection to a substitute usually a therapist of emotions that were originally felt in childhood in a phase of analysis called transference neurosis. Education involves the transference of knowledge. |
| transformation | A function that changes the position or direction of the axes of a coordinate system. British society underwent a radical transformation. |
| transmutation | The change of one chemical element into another (as by nuclear decay or radioactive bombardment. The transmutation of the political economy of the post war years was complete. |
| transport | A convict who was transported to a penal colony. Air transport. |
| transposition | The transfer of a quantity from one side of an equation to the other along with a change of sign. A transposition of an old story into a contemporary context. |
| trick | A sailor’s turn at the helm, usually lasting for two or four hours. He did conjuring tricks for his daughters. |
| u-turn | Complete reversal of direction of travel. |
| variation | A solo dance or dance figure. Who is responsible for these variations in taxation. |
| wile | The use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them. The devious wiles of the politicians. |
| work period | A manifestation of energy; the transfer of energy from one physical system to another expressed as the product of a force and the distance through which it moves a body in the direction of that force. |
| work shift | The occupation for which you are paid. |
According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “shift” as a verb can have the following definitions:
| adapt | Adapt or conform oneself to new or different conditions. A large organization can be slow to adapt to change. |
| adjust | Make correspondent or conformable. A single control adjusts the water flow. |
| agitate | Cause to be agitated excited or roused. The thought of questioning Toby agitated him extremely. |
| alter | Make an alteration to. Our outward appearance alters as we get older. |
| amend | Make amendments to. A few things had gone wrong but these had been amended. |
| attack | Attack someone physically or emotionally. The terrorists did not attack again until March. |
| back | Cause to move backwards. Back this enterprise. |
| be displaced | To remain unmolested, undisturbed, or uninterrupted — used only in infinitive form. |
| bear | (of a person) carry (someone or something. The bees form large colonies and need the thick branches of tall trees to bear the weight of their nests. |
| bring | Go or come after and bring or take back. Bring charges. |
| budge | Make or cause to make the slightest movement. Budge up boys make room for your uncle. |
| careen | Turn (a ship) on its side for cleaning, caulking, or repair. The ship careened out of control. |
| carry | Have on one’s person. Carry a cause. |
| cart | Transport something in a cart. They carted the piano down three flights of stairs. |
| change | Exchange or replace with another usually of the same kind or category. I changed her on top of the table until she got too big. |
| change direction | Change clothes; put on different clothes. |
| change over | Lay aside, abandon, or leave for another. |
| consume | Serve oneself to or consume regularly. This process consumes enormous amounts of energy. |
| convert | Complete successfully. She converted to Buddhism. |
| convey | Transmit or serve as the medium for transmission. No application for registration is required when the property is conveyed following a court order. |
| dislodge | Remove or force from a position of dwelling previously occupied. The hoofs of their horses dislodged loose stones. |
| displace | Cause to move, usually with force or pressure. He believes that books may be displaced by the electronic word. |
| divert | Send on a course or in a direction different from the planned or intended one. More of their advertising budget was diverted into promotions. |
| do a u-turn on | Be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity. |
| down | Bring down or defeat an opponent. He downed five pints of cider. |
| drain | Empty of liquid drain the liquid from. The rain water drains into this big vat. |
| drink | Drink excessive amounts of alcohol be an alcoholic. We were up drinking all night. |
| drink down | Propose a toast to. |
| drink up | Consume alcohol. |
| empty | Make void or empty of contents. The pub suddenly seemed to empty. |
| expunge | Remove by erasing or crossing out or as if by drawing a line. The kind of man that could expunge an unsatisfactory incident from his memory. |
| fetch | Take away or remove. The land could fetch over a million pounds. |
| finish off | Finally be or do something. |
| fluctuate | Cause to fluctuate or move in a wavelike pattern. The stock market fluctuates. |
| force down | To cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means. |
| get down | Succeed in catching or seizing, especially after a chase. |
| get off | Take vengeance on or get even. |
| get rid of | Evoke an emotional response. |
| gulp | Breathe or swallow with difficulty, typically in response to strong emotion. She gulped back the tears. |
| gulp down | To swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught. |
| guzzle | Eat or drink (something) greedily. This car guzzles petrol. |
| haul | (of a person) pull or drag with effort or force. Haul nets. |
| have | Have left. Have an assistant. |
| imbibe | Drink (alcohol. If one does not imbibe the culture one cannot succeed. |
| ingest | Absorb (information. They ingest oxygen from the air. |
| lap | Wash or flow against. The cat lapped up the milk. |
| lift | Raise or haul up with or as if with mechanical help. He lifted his eyes for an instant. |
| lug | Carry with difficulty. She began to lug her suitcase down the stairs. |
| lurch | Defeat by a lurch. He was lurching from one crisis to the next. |
| make adjustments to | Make or cause to be or to become. |
| modify | Make less severe or harsh or extreme. She may be prepared to modify her views. |
| move | Move so as to change position perform a nontranslational motion. The soldiers moved towards the city in an attempt to take it before night fell. |
| move around | Be in a state of action. |
| partake of | Consume. |
| pitch | Set to a certain pitch. She pitched forward into blackness. |
| polish off | Improve or perfect by pruning or polishing. |
| rearrange | Put into a new order or arrangement. Rearrange the furniture in my room. |
| recast | Present or organize in a different form or style. She had to recast her image to please the electorate in her home state. |
| redirect | Direct (something) to a new or different place or purpose. Get the post office to redirect your mail. |
| relocate | Move to a new place and establish one’s home or business there. Distribution staff will be relocated to Holland. |
| remove | Remove something concrete as by lifting pushing or taking off or remove something abstract. He was removed from his teaching position. |
| reposition | Change the image of (a company, product, etc.) to target a new or wider market. We are trying to reposition the brand with a premium image. |
| retract | Pull away from a source of disgust or fear. The tentacle retracted quickly. |
| reverse | Reverse the position order relation or condition of. The court reversed his conviction. |
| revise | Revise or reorganize especially for the purpose of updating and improving. Revise your lecture notes on the topic. |
| row back | Propel with oars. |
| sip | Drink in sips. She sipped at her tea. |
| slide | To pass or move unobtrusively or smoothly. She slid the keys over the table. |
| slip | Take off (a garment) quickly and easily. The bolt slipped into place. |
| slurp | Eat noisily. He slurped his soup. |
| stir | Mix or add by stirring. Stir in the flour and cook gently for two minutes. |
| sup | Take (drink or liquid food) by sips or spoonfuls. She supped up her soup delightedly. |
| swallow | Enclose or envelop completely as if by swallowing. She swallowed hard sniffing back her tears. |
| swing | Change direction with a swinging motion turn. The soccer player began to swing at the referee. |
| switch | Beat or flick with or as if with a switch. First Joe led then we switched. |
| take | Make undertake or perform an action or task. Verbs which take both the infinitive and the finite clause as their object. |
| take out | Require (time or space. |
| tilt | Charge with a tilt. Tilting the camera causes convergence of upright lines. |
| transfer | Transfer from one place or period to another. I went to sleep on the couch before transferring to my bedroom later in the night. |
| transport | Transport commercially. The book transported her to new worlds. |
| transpose | Change the order or arrangement of. Can you transpose this fugue into G major. |
| turn | Cause to change or turn into something different assume new characteristics. Turn the legs of the table. |
| vary | Be subject to change in accordance with a variable. His moods vary depending on the weather. |
| veer | Turn sharply; change direction abruptly. The wind veered. |
| wobble | Waver between different courses of action; vacillate. His knees wobbled. |
| aimlessly | Without aim; in an aimless manner. We wandered aimlessly round Venice. |
| amble | Walk leisurely. A peaceful riverside amble. |
| ambulate | Walk about; not be bedridden or incapable of walking. People who make use of crutches to ambulate. |
| digress | Leave the main subject temporarily in speech or writing. She always digresses when telling a story. |
| dislodge | Change place or direction. The hoofs of their horses dislodged loose stones. |
| displacement | Act of removing from office or employment. Vertical displacement of the shoreline. |
| drift | Walk slowly, aimlessly, or casually. The shipwrecked boat drifted away from the shore. |
| floating | Continually changing especially as from one abode or occupation to another. Floating voters. |
| gad | Wander aimlessly in search of pleasure. He had heard that I was gadding about with an airline stewardess. |
| gallivant | Wander aimlessly in search of pleasure. She quit her job to go gallivanting around the globe. |
| hesitantly | In a tentative or unsure manner. He speaks hesitantly and his voice is shaky. |
| move | Move so as to change position perform a nontranslational motion. His deep love of music moved him to take lessons with Dr Hill. |
| moved | Being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion. Too moved to speak. |
| nomadic | Migratory. The nomadic habits of the Bedouins. |
| peripatetic | (of a teacher) working in more than one school or college. Peripatetics have been cut under local management of schools. |
| rambling | Spreading out in different directions. A rambling club. |
| restlessly | In a restless manner. |
| roam | An aimless walk. Did you get to explore the city or have a roam around Bath. |
| rove | Move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment. A new exhibit will electrify campuses on its national rove. |
| shifting | Unstable. His constant shifting disrupted the class. |
| spasm | (pathology) sudden constriction of a hollow organ (as a blood vessel. A spasm of coughing woke him. |
| twitch | Use a twitch to subdue a horse. Her lips twitched and her eyelids fluttered. |
| unsettled | Worried and uneasy. An unsettled lifestyle. |
| vagabond | Anything that resembles a vagabond in having no fixed place. Pirate ships were vagabonds of the sea. |
| vagrant | Relating to or living the life of a vagrant. Most birders are hoping to find the wind blown vagrants of migration. |
| variable | A symbol like x or y that is used in mathematical or logical expressions to represent a variable quantity. The drill has variable speed. |
| wander | An act or instance of wandering. Might her husband be wandering. |
| wandering | Having no fixed course. She followed him in his wanderings and looked after him. |
The synonyms and related words of "Brag" are: blow, bluster, boast, gas, gasconade, shoot a…
The synonyms and related words of "Pierce" are: thrust, make a hole in, penetrate, puncture,…
The synonyms and related words of "Weary" are: aweary, tired, tired out, exhausted, fatigued, overtired,…
The synonyms and related words of "Kick" are: complain, kvetch, plain, quetch, sound off, give…
The synonyms and related words of "Useless" are: futile, pointless, purposeless, impractical, vain, in vain,…
Want to describe something with adjectives that start with 'J'? Though they are not numerous,…