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to shift

to shift

683 2.0
Move someone or something from one place to another
  • verb
  • /ʃɪft/
translation icon : cambiar
  • Around the seventh century AD, the emphasis in education shifted from adults to children.
  • shift focus
  • shift away
  • shift the emphasis

So light at night tends to shift people later.

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Examples

  • Will the landscape of global power shift due to who embraces genetic technology and who doesn't?

    Academic text (2012)
  • Your own energy from the inside out shifts the world around you.

  • This means we shift up by C units.

  • your mind has to immediately shift back because now

  • And so the question is, could we shift to another format?

  • And so through therapy, I was able to shift my perspective.

  • You dodge right, it shifts left.

  • Shift the coordinates by half a point.

  • By 1870, the political winds had shifted enough that the proposed reforms never really took hold.

    Academic text (2017)
  • You need to shift your focus from the past to the present to move forward.

Synonyms

to switch
vsto shift
756 2.0

To change one thing or person for another

is broader, meaning any change of place, state, or attention
to transfer
vsto shift
528 2.7

To move a person or thing to another place

is broader, also including changes of state, position, or attention
to transition
vsto shift
88 3.8

To change from one state or activity to another

is more general, applying to both small moves and larger changes
to move over
vsto shift
61 1.6

Shift a little to make room for someone else

is much wider, covering many kinds of moves beyond making space
to change
vsto shift
41 1.8

To move from one bus or train to another to continue a journey

applies to moving or changing in many physical or abstract contexts
to reposition
vsto shift
23 3.9

To move something to another place

also covers changing state or focus, not only physical repositioning
to shift focus
vsto shift
14 3.8

Change what you pay attention to

is more general, covering attention shifts plus physical and other moves
to change over
vsto shift
12 3.9

To switch from one system, method, or activity to another

covers any movement or alteration, not only system or method swaps
to shift gears
vsto shift
10 3.9

To change what you are doing to fit a new situation

is broader, including simple physical or abstract movements and refocuses
to reorient
vsto shift
8 5.6

To change the direction or main focus of something

is more neutral, meaning any move or change without implying intent
to translocate
vsto shift
  • Specialized
1 7.5

To move something from one part of a cell or body to another

is the general concept of moving or changing across many domains
to resituate
vsto shift
7.4

To move something or someone to a new place

is wider, applying to both location moves and nonphysical changes

Antonyms

931 3.1

Keep an activity, quality, or schedule going over time

75 4.3

To become steady and stop changing

Phrasal Verbs

Change what you pay attention to

To change what you are doing to fit a new situation

9.0

Work very hard for a short time to finish a task

To start working faster and try harder to reach a goal

Move money from one type like stocks to another to reduce risk or try to earn more

Change the time of someone's planned activities

To make a clear change in a situation or result

Compounds

52 2.1

Work that happens during the night or the people who do it

A night work period from midnight to early morning

12 2.2

A period of work during the day, usually from morning to afternoon, or the workers who work then

5 4.0

A car transmission you operate with a gear stick and clutch pedal

A very large and sudden change in ideas, beliefs, or ways of doing things

A period of work in the late afternoon and evening

3 4.3

An evening work shift from late afternoon until around midnight

2 2.3

A period of time when you are scheduled to work, for example morning or night

red shift
  • Specialized
2 7.2

Light from distant galaxies moves toward red light, showing they move away

A very big change in a field like business or public opinion

1 2.7

A key on a keyboard that makes letters capital and types other characters

population shift
  • Specialized
1 4.4

A change in where people live or how many live there

Doppler shift
  • Specialized
1 6.5

A change in sound pitch or light colour when the source and observer move

1 5.2

A large change in how people do things around the world

1 4.6

A work schedule with two short work periods separated by a long break

A sudden change in plan or way of doing things to improve results

shift register
  • Specialized
7.7

A small memory that moves bits left or right one place at a time

How Much

to transform
523 3.4
to change
1.0
to shift
683 2.0
to nudge
33 3.8

Surface Forms

shift infinitive
shifted past
shifted past participle
shifting present participle
shifts third person singular

Etymology

Shift comes from an old Germanic root skift meaning 'divide' or 'change', so think of moving something a little from one place to another. That is why to shift something is to move or change its position or focus.