as in to flip
to turn over pages in an idle or cursory manner
Web research is convenient but doesn't offer the tactile pleasures of riffling through heavy old books
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Recent Examples of riffle
Samindra Kunti, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Very often, the single word that completes the thought in a Maclean line is the fly that drops perfectly onto the riffle.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 14 May 2025
Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2024
Keep reading to check out more weekend deals, or head straight to Amazon to riffle through everything else that's on sale right now.
—Amy Schulman, PEOPLE.com, 6 May 2022
See All Example Sentences for riffle
Verb
Tanks and soldiers with riffles have lined the streets of the Paraguayan capital all week.
—Samindra Kunti, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Very often, the single word that completes the thought in a Maclean line is the fly that drops perfectly onto the riffle.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 14 May 2025
Noun
Palm fronds riffled in the hot breeze as the sky darkened and the air smelled, mysteriously, of salad dressing.
—Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2024
Keep reading to check out more weekend deals, or head straight to Amazon to riffle through everything else that's on sale right now.
—Amy Schulman, PEOPLE.com, 6 May 2022
See All Example Sentences for riffle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riffle
Verb
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Voters will decide whether to pass Proposition 50, a ballot initiative redrawing California’s congressional districts to flip five House seats from Republican to Democratic in next year’s midterms.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
In August 2020, five orcas chased a juvenile white shark, pushed it to the surface, and flipped it onto its back.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Pipe those wavelets of foie gras feculence over to neighboring Surfside, a two-bathroom kind of town with waste pipes galore.—
Pat Beall,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 June 2025
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Its wavelets lap enticingly at our feet, but the breaker that might truly knock the breath out of us never comes.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Trees are leafing, birds are chirping and the mere thought of sending a Microsoft Teams or Slack message feels like an affront to Mother Nature; spring has finally sprung in Indianapolis.—
Bradley Hohulin,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
-
This is because of the increasing demands for networking and switches to connect exponentially larger clusters, from spine to leaf in the front end and back end, rack to rack and accelerator to accelerator.—
Beth Kindig,
Forbes,
19 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Sporting voluminous curls and a confident stare, Eva’s presence on the cover was a celebration of self-love, resilience, and the undeniable power of Black women in fashion.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
30 Oct. 2025
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Chemo curls refers to the temporary change in hair texture following cancer treatment.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Since then, several states have thumbed their nose at the order.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
21 Oct. 2025
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Before Drew could say anything, Mike thumbed his collar and wandered off, still gazing at the color wheel.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Remove hair with a lint roller or your fingers if needed.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
23 Oct. 2025
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Dry methods included running a lint roller or brush over the upholstery to remove some loose hairs.—
Krystal Nurse,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Its sleek, slim-fit design and elastic waistband make for a fit that’s professional yet comfortable, and its ankle-skimming length is ideal for showing off cute loafers, sneakers, or other fall shoes.—
Averi Baudler,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
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More than 12,000 athletes skimmed the surface of the Charles River this weekend during the Head of the Charles Regatta, which marked 60 years with this year’s competition.—
Boston Herald staff,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In the scope was one of the many tiny fish bones that were found that day, probably belonging to a small comber or a wrasse.—
Paul Greenberg,
Smithsonian Magazine,
21 Dec. 2022
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The destructive combers continued to undermine dwellings near the water’s edge at West Newport Beach.—
Scott Harrison,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Riffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riffle. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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