shaft

1
as in beam
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 spear
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 injustice
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 shaft The luxury six-story hotel burned for 26 hours after a fire started in its wooden elevator shaft. Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2025 Or waste could also be deposited in deep shafts where two tectonic plates meet and the waste could be left to slide down into the Earth's molten mantle. David Szondy, New Atlas, 28 Dec. 2024 Uncovering a horrific site Excavations took place at the Charterhouse Warren shaft, which is part of a limestone plateau, in the 1970s and 1980s as part of an effort to better understand the subterranean cave system. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024 Plus, archeologists found cattle bones mixed in with the human remains in the Charterhouse Warren shaft, indicating the community had plenty to eat. Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 15 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shaft 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaft
Noun
  • At relativistic speeds — that is near the speed of light — time moves more slowly, which would mean the electron beam wouldn't have enough time to spread out, keeping the beam focused.
    Victoria Corless, Space.com, 22 Jan. 2025
  • At that moment, a bright white beam of sunlight came in through the porthole and struck Audrey’s left eye.
    Sheila Heti, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Financial Times – 6:24 AM | 52 Inside the hands-on lab of an experimental archaeologist Beyond flint-knapping and tossing spears with atlatls, Kent State University's Metin Eren has a vision for his field's future.
    Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 2 Jan. 2025
  • Some regions, like Sonora, Mexico, include a carrot spear, jalapeño and potato in the mixture.
    Jessica Boehm, Axios, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • What People Are Saying Joe Biden said in a statement that the decision to commute Peltier's sentence was part of his broader efforts to address the injustices of the past.
    Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
  • It’s seen as a declining, fragile and competitive place, rife with injustice, threats and misery.
    Mark Travers, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Sun rays reflect light off the underwater quartz particles, making the sand shine upwards onto the water’s surface and creating that signature crystal-clear emerald shade.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2025
  • Zuckerman and her husband sat in Palisades Park atop the Santa Monica bluffs on Sunday, catching some warm California rays.
    James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Instead, General Livius duels Commodus with javelins for the fate of Rome in a makeshift arena made of centurion shields.
    James Grebey, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024
  • Exceptions from that are pole vault and javelin because athletes are moving with so much force that the spike needs to penetrate the surface to avoid injury.
    Liam Tharme, The Athletic, 11 Aug. 2024
Noun
  • Those states, along with my firm, Alliance Defending Freedom, asked the Supreme Court to right the wrongs of the lower courts.
    Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
  • If Cooper had a meaningful chance to right his Michigan wrongs in a postseason tournament?
    Jason Lloyd, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Among the artifacts found at the site were 119 lances and spears, eight swords, five knives, three arrowheads, one axe, a bridle, fragments of a bugle, fragments of at least two oath rings and several bronze and iron objects that have not been identified yet, according to the press release.
    Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 4 Dec. 2024
  • Eastwood put on his armor and galloped down a course on Tinkerbell, hitting a practice target with a lance at Hemphill's property.
    Claire Osborn, Austin American-Statesman, 12 Mar. 2024
Noun
  • The Dolphins only won two of the six games Tagovailoa missed because of his two injuries.
    Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025
  • These surfaces could be icy and slippery, increasing your risk of a fall and injury.
    Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Shaft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaft. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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