shuffled; shuffling
ˈshə-f(ə-)liŋ 
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
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
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
Andrew Montequin, jsonline.com, 29 July 2025
Short, shuffling steps often prevent your glutes from firing properly.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
Joanna Allhands, AZCentral.com, 26 July 2025
In advance of Thursday’s announcement, FS1 had ended several daily studio shows in a programming shuffle.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shuffle
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Fuller has pushed back on these claims by sharing the app's source code for shuffling and dealing virtual cards.
—Andrew Montequin, jsonline.com, 29 July 2025
Short, shuffling steps often prevent your glutes from firing properly.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
Noun
Many folks fear that deep cuts will force Arizona to prioritize uses, and that in the shuffle, those that require a lot of water — like agriculture — will be pressured to slash production.
—Joanna Allhands, AZCentral.com, 26 July 2025
In advance of Thursday’s announcement, FS1 had ended several daily studio shows in a programming shuffle.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shuffle
Cite this Entry
“Shuffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shuffle. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
shuffle
2 of 2 noun1
a
: an act of shuffling
b
: a disorderly mass or pile
2
: a sliding or dragging walk
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