shuffle

1 of 2

verb

shuf·​fle ˈshə-fəl How to pronounce shuffle (audio)
shuffled; shuffling ˈshə-f(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce shuffle (audio)

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

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
shuffler noun

shuffle

2 of 2

noun

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

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
Verb
Half empty: Everyone said almost the same thing about Bob Melvin, who was nudged out of the door and has shuffled over to the division-rival Giants. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2024 They can be shuffled and rearranged and reworked into any combination that makes analytical sense. Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 If Foden is unavailable, City can always shuffle its shimmering deck and deploy Jeremy Doku, Jack Grealish, Julián Álvarez or Bernardo Silva, the game’s pre-eminent Swiss Army knife, in his place. Rory Smith, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Near the end of the clip, the audience shuffles out and Dun and Tyler move to the front of a classroom while a series of mysterious symbols, maps and legends are projected onto their faces. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 29 Feb. 2024 Some Floridians with state-run Citizens Property Insurance could soon find their homeowners policies shuffled to an unregulated insurer. Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024 But agent Scott Boras protected Bellinger well, with the details in the three-year, $80 million deal first reported on Sunday shuffling more risk to the team than the player. Phil Rogers, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 There’s been plenty of shuffling in Bednar’s lineup, but Cogliano’s effort and reliability as a forechecker and penalty-killer remain a gold standard for depth players in the NHL. Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2024 Workers shuffle through that mottled brown carpet with bare feet — like kicking sand on the beach — to expose the harvest to some sun. Mumbi Gitau, Fortune Europe, 27 Feb. 2024
Noun
The loss took the edge off a season in which the Ravens experienced a notable roster shuffle, reworked the offense under first-year coordinator Todd Monken and streaked to the finish after a 3-2 start. David Ginsburg, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2024 The board room shuffles also follow an ultimately unsuccessful bid by the Imax Group parent company to take Imax China private. Patrick Frater, Variety, 28 Feb. 2024 And not to get lost in the shuffle: Lyft reported solid earnings. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2024 The two have cute chemistry to spare, but while many of Grant's duet partners (Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts) can get lost in the shuffle, Barrymore's Sophie stands out due to her unabashed niceness despite her struggle to get over a previous toxic relationship (with a dastardly Campbell Scott). Gwen Ihnat, EW.com, 7 Nov. 2023 Setting Garvey up Rather than risk that, Schiff is executing a nifty political shuffle. Jim Newton, The Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2024 As the test shuffle goes forward, Boeing is planning to start low-rate initial production (LRIP) on the T-7 in mid-2024. Eric Tegler, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024 Steve Jordan, a hugely accomplished session drummer whose history with the Stones goes back to Dirty Work, does a lovely job keeping the grooves relaxed and steady on the other tracks, but nobody, truly nobody, plays with the same unhurried shuffle as Watts. Al Shipley, SPIN, 17 Oct. 2023 His physical condition was consistent with the accounts of several witnesses, who claimed that the culprit walked with a shuffle, and his mental condition crumbled in time with the Ripper’s crimes. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 18 Jan. 2024

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.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

perhaps irregular from shove entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1570, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shuffle was in 1570

Dictionary Entries Near shuffle

Cite this Entry

“Shuffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shuffle. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shuffle

1 of 2 verb
shuf·​fle ˈshəf-əl How to pronounce shuffle (audio)
shuffled; shuffling -(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce shuffle (audio)
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
shuffler noun

shuffle

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: an act of shuffling
b
: a disorderly mass or pile
2
: a sliding or dragging walk

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