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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of riffle
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
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
See All Example Sentences for riffle
Verb
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
Noun
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
See All Example Sentences for riffle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riffle
Verb
-
The Nuggets responded with consecutive 3s by Murray and Jalen Pickett to flip the tide.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
14 Jan. 2026
-
In December, the Emmy-winning Entertainment Tonight host flipped the script and took on a whole new role in the Lifetime holiday movie A Runaway Bride for Christmas.—
Michelle Lee,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
But those with coily hair can also snip a few singular curls and separate them with their fingers to get the same laissez-faire, unbothered look.—
Loren Savini,
Allure,
10 Jan. 2026
-
And my favorite part is creating the chocolate curls on top.—
Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
He was criticized for seemingly thumbing his nose at the NFL’s Rooney Rule and only interviewing four candidates before selecting Vrabel.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Back during the height of covid, the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery thumbed its nose at social-distancing recommendations and crammed upwards of a thousand people into its beer garden for its annual Mecktoberfest.—
Theoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Pickleball enthusiasts expressed excitement that indoor courts would be opening but opponents worried other community events that were once held at the site would be forced out like arts and crafts show, roller derby, the Rosie the Riveter festival and Fourth of July celebrations.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Carter’s breakthrough role was playing roller-skating chef Nauls in The Thing opposite Kurt Russell.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Travel planning company, Travelead, organized the full itinerary, crafting immersive African experiences tailored for a group intent on understanding South Africa’s complex history rather than skimming its surface.—
Lindsey Granger,
The Hill,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The sky filled with helicopters—some skimming the rooftops—along with fighter jets and B-1 bombers.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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 16 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
