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
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
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Deep in the bowels of State Farm Stadium, Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson and a group of his players shuffled into a concrete-walled space that had been converted into a makeshift press conference room.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 16 May 2025
Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 15 May 2025
The lucrative shuffle from detox to residential to outpatient to relapse and back again begins.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shuffle
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Verb
Bemused tourists attempt to shuffle through the acrid red and blue flare smoke.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Deep in the bowels of State Farm Stadium, Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson and a group of his players shuffled into a concrete-walled space that had been converted into a makeshift press conference room.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 16 May 2025
Noun
The shuffle of who would back up franchise catcher Will Smith behind the plate came together quickly, yet signaled a shift that was a long time coming.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 15 May 2025
The lucrative shuffle from detox to residential to outpatient to relapse and back again begins.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shuffle
Cite this Entry
“Shuffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shuffle. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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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