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
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Example Sentences
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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
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When the song was over, the singer abruptly turned around to shove and flip the piano, which crashed on stage and broke apart.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 June 2026
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Democrats, for months, have been bullish on flipping the seat Susan Collins has held for nearly thirty years with oyster farmer and veteran Graham Platner.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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The restaurant is flashier and more glamorous than the original, with moody black floors, discreetly spotlit tables, mirrored ceilings, and walls leafed in living greenery.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
24 May 2026
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In spring, when the trees start to leaf, Cedar Mountain comes alive with toe-tapping music, pottery studios, galleries and locals who welcome you in.—
Belinda Luksic,
Southern Living,
1 May 2026
Noun
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This serum is giving me lightweight, bouncy, shiny curls WITHOUT the oily feeling/look.—
Emma Greene,
InStyle,
4 June 2026
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In the clip, Charlie plays with his hair and even does a full 360 spin to show off his curls for the camera.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Even games with anti-cheat that thumbed their nose at Linux and the Steam Deck are now supporting Windows on Arm, too.—
Sean Hollister,
The Verge,
1 June 2026
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McCain first thumbed the pages en route to the Tarkanian Classic, a notable high school tournament in Las Vegas.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
23 May 2026
Noun
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Dylan Crews hit a slow roller and third baseman Leo Jimenez threw wildly to first.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2026
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Their lineup includes everything from minimalist roller shades to insulating honeycomb designs and versatile zebra styles.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Available in four colors — purple, blue, sage, and ivory — this dress’ A-line silhouette and floor-skimming length give it a formal yet feminine look, similar to the HGTV star’s style.—
Averi Baudler,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
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Her floor-skimming hemline featured a rhinestone trim that trailed up her skirt, adding some extra sparkle to every step.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
3 June 2026
Noun
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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
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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 8 Jun. 2026.
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