What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
migrate
Example
The birds migrate south for the winter. [migrate: verb]
Example
My family migrated to the United States when I was a child. [migrated: past tense]
Example
We need to migrate our data to the new system. [migrate: verb]
shift
Example
The wind shifted and blew from the east. [shifted: past tense]
Example
I need to shift my attention to this project now. [shift: verb]
Example
I work the night shift at the hospital. [shift: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Shift is more commonly used than migrate in everyday language. Shift is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while migrate is less common and often associated with animal or human movement.
Whatโs the difference in the tone of formality between migrate and shift?
Both migrate and shift can be used in formal or informal contexts, depending on the context and tone of the sentence.
