Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense shuffles, present participle shuffling, past tense, past participle shuffled
1. verb
If you shuffle somewhere, you walk there without lifting your feet properly off the ground.
Moira shuffled across the kitchen. [VERB preposition/adverb]
They shuffled along somewhat reluctantly. [VERB preposition/adverb]
Synonyms: shamble, stagger, stumble, lumber More Synonyms of shuffle
Shuffle is also a noun.
She noticed her own proud walk had become a shuffle.
2. verb
If you shufflearound, you move your feet about while standing or you move your bottom about while sitting, often because you feel uncomfortable or embarrassed.
He shuffles around in his chair. [VERB preposition/adverb]
He grinned and shuffled his feet. [VERB noun]
3. verb
If you shuffle playing cards, you mix them up before you begin a game.
There are various ways of shuffling and dealing the cards. [VERB noun]
[Also VERB]
4. verb
If you shuffle things such as pieces of paper, you move them around so that they are in a different order.
The silence lengthened as Thorne unnecessarily shuffled some papers. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: rearrange, jumble, reorganize, mix More Synonyms of shuffle
More Synonyms of shuffle
shuffle in British English
(ˈʃʌfəl)
verb
1.
to walk or move (the feet) with a slow dragging motion
2.
to change the position of (something), esp quickly or in order to deceive others
3. (transitive)
to mix together in a careless manner
he shuffled the papers nervously
4.
to mix up (cards in a pack) to change their order
5. (intransitive)
to behave in an awkward, evasive, or underhand manner; equivocate
6. (whenintr, often foll by into or out of)
to move or cause to move clumsily
he shuffled out of the door
7. (intransitive)
to dance the shuffle
noun
8.
the act or an instance of shuffling
9.
a dance or dance step with short dragging movements of the feet
Derived forms
shuffler (ˈshuffler)
noun
Word origin
C16: probably from Low German schüffeln; see shove
shuffle in American English
(ˈʃʌfəl)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈshuffled or ˈshuffling
1.
a.
to move (the feet) with a dragging or shoving gait
b.
to perform (a dance) with such steps
2.
to mix (playing cards) so as to change their order or arrangement
3.
to push or mix together in a jumbled or disordered mass
4.
to shift (things) about from one place to another
5.
to bring, put, or thrust (into or out of) clumsily or trickily
verb intransitive
6.
to move by dragging or scraping the feet, as in walking or dancing
7.
to get (into or out of a situation or condition) by trickery, evasion, lies, etc.
8.
to act in a shifty, dishonest manner; practice deceit, trickery, evasion, etc.
9.
to change or shift repeatedly from one position or place to another
10.
to shuffle playing cards
11.
to move clumsily (into or out of clothing)
noun
12.
the act of shuffling
13.
a tricky or deceptive action; evasion; trick
14.
a.
a shuffling of the feet
b.
a gait, dance, etc. characterized by this
15.
a.
the act of shuffling playing cards
b.
the right of, or one's turn at, shuffling the cards
Idioms:
lose in the shuffle
shuffle off
Derived forms
shuffler (ˈshuffler)
noun
Word origin
Early ModE, prob. < or akin to LowG schuffeln, to walk clumsily, shuffle cards < base of shove
More idioms containing
shuffle
get lost in the shuffle
Examples of 'shuffle' in a sentence
shuffle
You have a bad tremor and you shuffle about.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The constant shuffling around of players from their favoured positions has also caused consternation at the club.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
His right arm is still paralysed and when he walks it is with an awkward shuffle.
The Sun (2010)
She was already shuffling back when he continued.
The Sun (2009)
His head was pitched forward and he walked with a shuffle.
Christianity Today (2000)
Then they shuffled along the covered walkway to the next building.
Len Deighton Bomber
The benefits from shuffling the chairs are at best unproven.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The thoughts shuffle about in your head.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Lawyers claim he shuffled assets around to keep his cash beyond her reach.
The Sun (2013)
She nodded rapidly as she shuffled back into position.
The Sun (2009)
Most shuffle back a few inches without much success.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
He shuffled along between two rows of people.
Philip Marsden The Barefoot Emperor: An Ethiopian Tragedy (2007)
It turned out that some of the borrowing had simply been shuffled back into previous months.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
His frame was portly and he shuffled when he walked, his feet turned slightly inwards.
James Fergusson KANDAHAR COCKNEY: A Tale of Two Worlds (2004)
He shuffles about, sticks an old album on his turntable.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
How do you do that, shuffle around?
The Sun (2012)
All the while their mother snorted, shuffled about a bit and then went back to sleep.
The Sun (2015)
It takes him an age to get up the garden and back down with his short, shuffling steps.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
His walk became a shuffle '.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
I could imagine the terrible things, the way they creep up on you with the shuffle of small steps.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The first symptoms are often stiffness, slow movement and tremors, and sometimes a shuffling walk.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In other languages
shuffle
British English: shuffle /ˈʃʌfl/ VERB
If you shuffle somewhere, you walk there without lifting your feet properly off the ground.