shuffle

verb

shuf·fle | \ ˈshə-fəl

shuffled; shuffling\ ˈshə-f(ə-)liŋ

Definition of shuffle

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

3a : 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

4a : 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

3a : 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

shuffle

noun

Definition of shuffle (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an evasion of the issue : equivocation

2a : 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

3a : 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

Other Words from shuffle Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about shuffle

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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

Kelli O'Hara, frequent nom and first-time winner, shuffled off stage in glee. — Scottie Andrew And Saeed Ahmed, CNN, "The Tony Awards are better than the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys. Here's why you should watch Sunday," 8 June 2019 Hinch shuffled his rotation and said Miley (4-2, 3.51 ERA) would start the series finale with RHP Brad Peacock being pushed to Monday. — Ken Powtak, The Seattle Times, "Astros start fast; beat Red Sox 7-3 for 10th straight win," 18 May 2019 Provenzano shuffled us to the door and made his body into an X by holding on to the exit’s top railing. — Jacqueline Detwiler, Popular Mechanics, "How To Go Skydiving for the First Time," 5 Mar. 2019 Gram was shuffled off to a prep school, lots of money. — Morgan Enos, Billboard, "The Byrds' 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo': A Track-by-Track Guide Ahead of the 50th Anniversary Tour," 5 June 2018 The primacy of the common good extends to everything in Sweden, including shuffling off this mortal coil. — Judith Newman, New York Times, "Guides for Better Living From Around the World," 23 Jan. 2018 What’s so baffling is that the Patriots, who are better than any team at shuffling personnel to find the best matchups, left themselves with three glaringly bad matchups by benching Butler. — Andy Benoit, SI.com, "A Super Bowl 52 Deep Dive Review," 7 Feb. 2018 Counsell has proven adept at shuffling players around and getting his key players ample playing time. — Todd Rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Ryan Braun says he's open to trying first base for Brewers," 28 Jan. 2018 In early 1945, he was shuffled to a camp near Dachau and put to work building underground bunkers. — James R. Hagerty, WSJ, "Holocaust Survivor Rushed to Make Up for Lost Time and Lives," 2 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

So what will happen to all those people who lose their jobs in the shuffle? — Popular Mechanics, "The iPhone Changed the World, the Self-Driving Car Is Next," 29 June 2017 Or that song that just comes on shuffle out of nowhere and transports you to a land of pure hope. — Bess Matassa, Teen Vogue, "Weekly Horoscopes August 27-September 2," 20 Aug. 2018 Though ABC News has not commented on the shuffle yet, Haines will reportedly join the new third hour of Good Morning America, which is replacing The Chew in the 1 p.m. time slot. — Megan Friedman, Good Housekeeping, "Sara Haines Is Reportedly Leaving ‘The View’ and Heading to 'Good Morning America'," 23 July 2018 The move marks the latest shuffle for the 30-stock index, which many investors closely watch as a gauge of blue-chip companies’ share performance. — Akane Otani, WSJ, "Dow Inc. to Replace DowDuPont in DJIA," 26 Mar. 2019 And such a bureaucratic shuffle could come with a hefty price tag. — Verge Staff, The Verge, "What the new Congress means for space, self-driving cars, and regulating Facebook," 7 Nov. 2018 The latest shuffle leaves Russell Stokes in charge of everything except for the natural-gas operations. — Thomas Gryta, WSJ, "GE Veteran John Rice Returns to Troubled Power Unit," 19 Nov. 2018 After dinner enjoy a spirited game of pool or shuffle board in our games room. — Hannah Seligson, Town & Country, "The Best Room At... Winvian Farm," 19 Feb. 2019 The Brewers’ back-end-of-the-pen shuffle continued Friday when Adrian Houser was returned to Class AAA Colorado Springs and Brandon Woodruff was summoned from that club. — Tom Haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Notes: Brandon Woodruff back for fifth stint with Brewers as shuffle of arms continues," 13 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shuffle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.