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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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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The Magic flipped the script, though.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Apr. 2026
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Nonpartisan election forecasters give Democrats a slight edge to flip the competitive seat that the party considers critical to reclaiming the House in the midterms.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Apr. 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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At the site, trees are leafing as workers add finishing touches.—
Aria Jones,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Mar. 2026
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But other begonia varieties have foliage that can hold its own in the garden when the plants aren't flowering, too, like the Polka Dot begonia (Begonia maculata) and the orange-leafed 'Autumn Crinkle' begonia, a rhizomatous hybrid.—
Derek Carwood,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The lunchtime sandwich that reigns supreme is undoubtedly the mushroom dip, with a tangle of Long Beach oyster mushrooms confited in oil, then roasted until their edges become crisp and curl in the pizza oven.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
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Nakamura, who works almost exclusively in his native Japan, smooths over those divisions, creating reverent, porous structures that open to the landscape or curl in on themselves in repose.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Caleb Foster thumbed over his shoulder to move Cam Boozer.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
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Since the late 1970s, victories at the bargaining table have been less frequent, and UFW leaders admit ranchers thumbed their noses during contract negotiations, daring them to strike.—
Marcos Breton,
Sacbee.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This new restaurant next to the 74-year-old Silver Wheel roller skating rink on Grants Lane serves breakfast and lunch that tastes home-cooked with dessert that is worth a stop alone.—
Ella Gonzales
April 1,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
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Its unique hardware interface uses an intuitive roller and paddle system for volume and playback, while the Nothing X app allows for deep 8-band EQ customization.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The skimming devices were found at nine different banks and ATMs in Philadelphia since March 15, Capt.—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
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And that’s just skimming the surface of Southern representation this year.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
31 Mar. 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 6 Apr. 2026.
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