shafts

Definition of shaftsnext
plural of shaft
1
as in beams
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 spears
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 injustices
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 shafts Unlike other methods for sinking deep shafts, Gangtie Jiliang is built specifically to tackle hard rock. Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 2026 Upgrades will require significant reinforcement of some walls and elevator shafts, though engineers have found ways to do the work by pouring new concrete footings and installing additional steel bracing without significantly impinging on internal spaces or being visible on exterior surfaces. Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026 While rare earths will be the primary focus, exploration will also assess the potential for gold mining — the area is dotted with old, small-scale adits and shafts. Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026 The mine shafts oblige them generously, particularly after a bender or a jilting. Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026 That list includes several top-20 players and notables playing the brand’s popular iron shafts, such as Lydia Ko (KBS VX Lite 90) and Hye-Jin Choi (PGI 90). Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026 The condition of caskets, artifacts and human remains varied, said Stantec archeologist Ryan Peterson, noting that the number human remains found does not equal the number of grave shafts. Alexandria Burris, IndyStar, 14 Nov. 2025 Stairwells and elevator shafts acted like chimneys, and the absence of emergency lighting, signage and alternative exits prevented the safe evacuation of the hotel’s 238 guests, the indictment said. CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025 In the past, some radioactive fallout has leaked from test shafts. Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shafts
Noun
  • In this elegant setting—a dining room set with Afropunk oil portraits and industrial-chic brass beams overhead—the fruit was presented as an aperitivo.
    Samantha Falewée, Travel + Leisure, 30 Apr. 2026
  • With cathedral ceilings, select pieces of midcentury-modern furniture, and exposed wood beams, the interiors are comfortable without being cluttered.
    Sarah Wood González, Architectural Digest, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Smashing the spears with a rolling pin and dressing them in lemon and olive oil magically tenderizes the otherwise tough veg.
    Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Pão de queijo, as moreish as popcorn, manioc gnocchi, rock-pool sea urchins and Tainha fish, caught by local fishermen who still use traditional canoes and spears, are all served on banana leaves on a wooden table outdoors.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Which is to say that its power as a mode of redress in the first sense—as agent for proclaiming and correcting injustices—is being appealed to constantly.
    Nick Laird, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
  • The report’s ideas continue to inspire academics and civil society organizations to critically monitor the global media with regard to disparities in power and global injustices.
    Stijn Joye, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The southern façade, for instance, is entirely solid—no windows, no openings—to shield the interior from the most brutal solar rays.
    Nick Mafi, Architectural Digest, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The family smiles while dressed casually and barefoot, squinting from the sun's rays.
    Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Humans have been throwing javelins for a few hundred thousand years, yet performance has largely plateaued.
    R. Alexander Bentley, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2026
  • The Tofinu took refuge in the lagoons along the Bight of Benin, a core area of the slave trade, venturing forth in canoes with harpoons, javelins, and swords to fight off raiders from powerful nearby kingdoms.
    Laurent Dubois, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Nick Offerman rounds out the complex family unit as Margo’s estranged father, Jinx, a former pro wrestler fresh out of rehab who returns to her life in an attempt to right his wrongs.
    Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Last year, Algerian legislators voted to declare France’s colonization of the North African country a crime, approving a law that calls for restitution of property taken by France during its 130-year rule, among other demands seeking to redress historical wrongs.
    ABC News, ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Warhorses charge, lances down, crashing through the tilts as lances break on shields and men topple from their steeds.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Three or four decades ago, the newspaperman was appealingly raffish—at once a bum who drank too much and a knight-errant who charged unafraid at social injustice, succored the weak, and crossed lances with the powerful and arrogant.
    David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The company has received 5,952 reports involving DC-DC converter replacements, but these have resulted in no accidents or injuries.
    Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The victim, who has not been identified, suffered severe crushing injuries to his lower limbs after becoming trapped in a lifting system, local fire authorities told Reuters, citing eyewitness accounts.
    Edward Segarra, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Shafts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shafts. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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