Substitute
Substitute verb - To give up (something) and take something else in return.
Usage example: can I substitute coleslaw for potato salad if I order the chicken plate?
Shift is a synonym for substitute in change topic. In some cases you can use "Shift" instead the word "Substitute" as a verb or a noun, when it comes to topics like barter.
Shift
Shift verb - To give up (something) and take something else in return.
Usage example: my brother and I shifted seats just before takeoff so that he could sit by the window
Substitute is a synonym for shift in change topic. Sometimes you can use "Substitute" instead the word "Shift" as a verb or a noun, if it concerns topics such as trick, barter, switch.
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
How words are described
| notable | notable substitute | notable shift |
| similar | similar substitute | similar shift |
| brief | brief substitute | brief shift |
| complete | complete substitute | complete shift |
| Other adjectives: original, obvious, actual, real, big, quick, new, temporary, eventual, occasional, different. | ||
Common collocations
Cite this Source
Shift and Substitute. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/substitute/shift
Substitute & Shift. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/substitute/shift>.
Shift or Substitute. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/substitute/shift.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "substitute" and "shift" have occurred on timeline