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
A lot has changed: Secrets are revealed, team rosters are shuffled, and characters meet shocking fates. Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 19 Apr. 2024 Then at the 20-minute mark, the band receded to a hush as Loueke struck the strings with soft, meticulous notes, accompanied by rhythmic clicking scatting, a moment of sheer exhilaration by restraint, as Blanchard, decked out in glittery sneakers, shuffling around in admiration. Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024 But the work is reborn whenever Robert Lesser shuffles in as Morry the tailor, whose compassion for Fender overrides his mercantile sense. Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024 In the new study, researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland experimented with fluidic memristive devices that instead rely on shuffling around ions to more closely mimic how the brain operates. IEEE Spectrum, 29 Mar. 2024 This isn’t your regular ol’ caramel corn, and the customers that shuffled in and out of the store during my visit made that clear. Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 22 Mar. 2024 Curry’s return should shuffle everyone back into place with a month left in the regular season. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024 And finding someone to ask what’s going on necessitates shuffling around the hallways pantsless and in your socks. Rachel Wilkerson Miller, SELF, 3 Apr. 2024 Her brother shuffles from around the counter in the shop's back kitchen and pulls her in for a tight hug. Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 2 Apr. 2024
Noun
In recent years, chatter on the ground in Park City said that in a post-pandemic world, reclusive millionaires and hardcore skiers are tired of the annual Hollywood shuffle the town has to endure. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024 The thief shuffles to the front porch, moves over a small package, then pulls the parcel inside of the bag, the video shows. Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024 This week, just four years after the last management shuffle, Boeing announced the coming departure of top executives, including CEO Dave Calhoun and Chairman of the Board Larry Kellner. Michael Goldstein, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024 But that performance against New York isn’t enough to throw everything into the shuffle. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024 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

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 23 Apr. 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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