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.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Howard Dean, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2023
From regime to regime and as staffs are shuffled at Halas Hall, the precise order for blame changes a little.
—Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 16 Sep. 2023
But finding new, healthy recipes to shuffle into your repertoire can be challenging.
—Samantha MacAvoy, Women's Health, 9 Sep. 2023
Adults shuffling papers and checking boxes shrugged.
—Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2023
Instead, the Wolverines used their opener to continue to find their best rotation both in the trenches and the secondary as players constantly shuffled in and out.
—Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press, 2 Sep. 2023
As streaming services have repeatedly shuffled what shows and movies are available where, attracting a fan base has gotten complicated.
—Angela Watercutter, WIRED, 1 Sep. 2023
The president then shuffled off the stage as White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre announced that the event was over.
—Bryan Schott, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023
Those desperate for the Virgin Mary’s help shuffle across the square on their knees.
—Viet Thanh Nguyen, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2023
Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2023
Longtime researchers feared promising drugs, particularly for ultra-rare diseases, might get lost in the shuffle.
—Jason Mast, STAT, 1 Sep. 2023
Game show Press Your Luck, which was part of an earlier schedule shuffle at the network, is back on the schedule and set for 10 p.m. Tuesdays starting Oct. 10.
—Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2023
During the recent conference realignment shuffle during the past month, rhetoric suggested that there wasn’t much interest in Oregon State because its media market size.
—Ndaschel, oregonlive, 6 Sep. 2023
The move coincided with a lineup shuffle that had the struggling De La Cruz moving from the cleanup spot to leadoff for the first time.
—Gordon Wittenmyer, The Enquirer, 18 July 2023
Marcus’s study-abroad trip is notable not just for the soft talk between him and his tutor, Luca (Will Poulter), but also for the fact that the show’s overactive iPod shuffle of dad rock deep cuts is paused for much of the stand-alone episode that’s focused on the Copenhagen apprenticeship.
—Phillip MacIak, The New Republic, 30 June 2023
All this is not to say shuffle influencers don’t get their fair share of haters.
—Michelle Vartan, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2023
Kering said in July that Gucci’s CEO Marco Bizzarri is leaving as part of a management shuffle.
—Maria Halkias, Dallas News, 25 Aug. 2023
See More
Verb
This reform would force PBMs to finally compete to negotiate genuine savings, not just shuffle rents around and exploit loopholes.
—Howard Dean, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2023
From regime to regime and as staffs are shuffled at Halas Hall, the precise order for blame changes a little.
—Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 16 Sep. 2023
But finding new, healthy recipes to shuffle into your repertoire can be challenging.
—Samantha MacAvoy, Women's Health, 9 Sep. 2023
Adults shuffling papers and checking boxes shrugged.
—Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2023
Instead, the Wolverines used their opener to continue to find their best rotation both in the trenches and the secondary as players constantly shuffled in and out.
—Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press, 2 Sep. 2023
As streaming services have repeatedly shuffled what shows and movies are available where, attracting a fan base has gotten complicated.
—Angela Watercutter, WIRED, 1 Sep. 2023
The president then shuffled off the stage as White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre announced that the event was over.
—Bryan Schott, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023
Those desperate for the Virgin Mary’s help shuffle across the square on their knees.
—Viet Thanh Nguyen, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2023
Noun
Stafford’s resume appeared to get lost in the shuffle during preseason discussions about top NFL quarterbacks, all of whom are younger than the 35-year-old Stafford.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2023
Longtime researchers feared promising drugs, particularly for ultra-rare diseases, might get lost in the shuffle.
—Jason Mast, STAT, 1 Sep. 2023
Game show Press Your Luck, which was part of an earlier schedule shuffle at the network, is back on the schedule and set for 10 p.m. Tuesdays starting Oct. 10.
—Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2023
During the recent conference realignment shuffle during the past month, rhetoric suggested that there wasn’t much interest in Oregon State because its media market size.
—Ndaschel, oregonlive, 6 Sep. 2023
The move coincided with a lineup shuffle that had the struggling De La Cruz moving from the cleanup spot to leadoff for the first time.
—Gordon Wittenmyer, The Enquirer, 18 July 2023
Marcus’s study-abroad trip is notable not just for the soft talk between him and his tutor, Luca (Will Poulter), but also for the fact that the show’s overactive iPod shuffle of dad rock deep cuts is paused for much of the stand-alone episode that’s focused on the Copenhagen apprenticeship.
—Phillip MacIak, The New Republic, 30 June 2023
All this is not to say shuffle influencers don’t get their fair share of haters.
—Michelle Vartan, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2023
Kering said in July that Gucci’s CEO Marco Bizzarri is leaving as part of a management shuffle.
—Maria Halkias, Dallas News, 25 Aug. 2023
See More
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
First Known Use
Verb
1570, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun
1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing shuffle
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 4 Oct. 2023.
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Kids 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
More from Merriam-Webster on shuffle
Nglish: Translation of shuffle for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of shuffle for Arabic Speakers
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