shuffled; shuffling
ˈshə-f(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to mix in a mass confusedly : jumble
2
: to put or thrust aside or under cover
shuffled the whole matter out of his mind
3
a
: to rearrange (playing cards, dominoes, tiles, etc.) to produce a random order
b
: to move about, back and forth, or from one place to another : shift
shuffle funds among various accounts
4
a
: to move by sliding along or back and forth without lifting
shuffle one's feet
b
: to perform (something, such as a dance) with a dragging, sliding step
1
: to work into or out of trickily
shuffled out of the difficulty
2
: to act or speak in a shifty or evasive manner
3
a
: to move or walk in a sliding dragging manner without lifting the feet
b
: to dance in a lazy nonchalant manner with sliding and tapping motions of the feet
c
: to execute in a perfunctory or clumsy manner
4
: to mix playing cards or counters by shuffling
1
: an evasion of the issue : equivocation
2
a
: an act of shuffling (as of cards)
b
: a right or turn to shuffle
it's your shuffle
c
: a confusing jumble (as of papers or events)
lost in the shuffle
3
a
: a dragging sliding movement
specifically
: a sliding or scraping step in dancing
b
: a dance characterized by such a step
c(1)
: a rhythm where each beat of the measure is played as a triplet with the first and second parts of the triplet tied and the third part accented
(2)
: music played in a shuffle rhythm
Synonyms
Verb
- barge
- clump
- flog [British]
- flounder
- galumph
- lumber
- lump
- plod
- pound
- scuff
- scuffle
- shamble
- slog
- slough
- stamp
- stomp
- stumble
- stump
- tramp
- tromp
- trudge
Noun
- agglomerate
- agglomeration
- alphabet soup
- assortment
- botch
- clutter
- collage
- crazy quilt
- farrago
- gallimaufry
- grab bag
- gumbo
- hash
- hodgepodge
- hotchpotch
- jambalaya
- jumble
- jungle
- litter
- macédoine
- medley
- mélange
- menagerie
- miscellanea
- miscellany
- mishmash
- mixed bag
- montage
- motley
- muddle
- olio
- olla podrida
- omnium-gatherum
- pastiche
- patchwork
- patchwork quilt
- potpourri
- ragbag
- ragout
- rummage
- salad
- salmagundi
- scramble
- smorgasbord
- stew
- tumble
- variety
- welter
Examples of shuffle in a Sentence
Verb
He shuffled across the floor.
She stood there, shuffling her feet, waiting for the bus to arrive.
She shuffled the papers on her desk.
The manager shuffled the batting order.
Whose turn is it to shuffle and deal?
Noun
We heard the shuffle of feet outside the door.
He gave the cards a good shuffle and then dealt.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ruby Opalka, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2024
Brandon Hyde shuffled his lineup, moving Colton Cowser to the leadoff spot for the first time in his career, sliding Gunnar Henderson to the No. 3 hole and giving the slumping Adley Rutschman the day off.
—Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 28 July 2024
Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 5 Aug. 2024
Lined up wide left, Vele shuffle stepped on the snap as the linebacker raced to take the angle in coverage on McLaughlin.
—Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 14 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shuffle 
Verb
So tired and drunk off spending all this time with Lucia, Frankie shuffled up close to her and dropped her head on her shoulder.
—Ruby Opalka, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2024
Brandon Hyde shuffled his lineup, moving Colton Cowser to the leadoff spot for the first time in his career, sliding Gunnar Henderson to the No. 3 hole and giving the slumping Adley Rutschman the day off.
—Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 28 July 2024
Noun
Xo Make Touching Cameos in Machine Gun Kelly and Jelly Roll's Music Video for 'Lonely Road'
For the grand finale, Jelly grabbed Theory by the neck and performed an epic chokeslam as the trio gave Theory a taste of the five-knuckle shuffle — made famous by none other than John Cena.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 5 Aug. 2024
Lined up wide left, Vele shuffle stepped on the snap as the linebacker raced to take the angle in coverage on McLaughlin.
—Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 14 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shuffle
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shuffle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to shuffle
Dictionary Entries Near shuffle
Cite this Entry
“Shuffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shuffle. Accessed 12 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shuffle
1 of 2 verb
shuf·fle
ˈshəf-əl
shuffled; shuffling
-(ə-)liŋ
1
: to mix in a disorderly mass
2
: to push out of sight
3
a
: to mix cards to change their order in the pack
b
: to move from place to place
4
a
: to walk or move by sliding or dragging the feet
shuffling along
b
: to move by sliding along or back and forth without lifting
shuffled her feet
shuffle
2 of 2 noun1
a
: an act of shuffling
b
: a disorderly mass or pile
2
: a sliding or dragging walk
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