shuffle

1 of 2

verb

shuf·​fle ˈshə-fəl 

shuffled; shuffling ˈshə-f(ə-)liŋ 

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

ˈshə-f(ə-)lər 

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

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Once the road trip ends, Bronny will be shuffling between the G-League and the main Lakers roster. —David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024

These relationships shuffle among the large, contentious staff — Mexican, white, Italian, black, Muslim, Albanian, and Dominican, a panoply of types whose individuality keeps the action lively, timely, yet unpredictable. —Armond White, National Review, 30 Oct. 2024

Noun

Critical but relatively small-dollar projects, such as street intersection adjustments that better serve pedestrians or bus riders, can get lost in the shuffle. —David Zipper, Vox, 13 Nov. 2024

The senior leadership shuffle continues at the Estée Lauder Cos. After it was revealed that both chief executive officer Fabrizio Freda and chief financial officer Tracey T. Travis plan to retire, another long-term leader at the company is following them. —Kathryn Hopkins, WWD, 30 Sep. 2024

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

Phrases Containing shuffle

• lost in the shuffle

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

shuffler

-(ə-)lər 

noun

shuffle

2 of 2 noun

1

a

: an act of shuffling

b

: a disorderly mass or pile

2

: a sliding or dragging walk