shuffle

American  

[shuhf-uhl] / ˈʃʌf əl /

verb (used without object)

• shuffles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• shuffled,
  past participle,  past
• shuffling
  present participle

1. to walk without lifting the feet or with clumsy steps and a shambling gait.

2. to scrape the feet over the floor in dancing.

3. to move clumsily (usually followed byinto ).

   to shuffle into one's clothes.

4. to act underhandedly or evasively with respect to a stated situation (often followed by in, into, orout of ).

   to shuffle out of one's responsibilities.

5. to intermix so as to change the relative positions of cards in a pack.

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verb (used with object)

• shuffles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• shuffled,
  past participle,  past
• shuffling
  present participle

1. to move (one's feet) along the ground or floor without lifting them.

   Synonyms:

   scuff, scrape, drag

2. to perform (a dance) with such movements.

3. to move (an object or objects) this way and that.

4. to put, thrust, or bring trickily, evasively, or haphazardly (usually followed by in, into, out, etc.).

   to shuffle one's way into favor.

5. to mix (cards in a pack) so as to change the relative positions.

6. to jumble together, mix, or interchange the positions of (objects).

noun

• shuffles
  plural

1. a scraping movement; dragging gait.

2. an evasive trick; evasion.

3. an act or instance of shuffling.

4. Cards.

   1. a shuffling of cards in a pack.

   2. the right or turn to shuffle preparatory to dealing.

      You win the shuffle.

5. a dance in which the feet are shuffled along the floor.

verb phrase

1. shuffle off

   1. to thrust aside; get rid of.

   2. to move away by, or as if by, shuffling.

      They shuffled off to school with little enthusiasm.

shuffle British  

/ 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. (tr) 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. (intr) to behave in an awkward, evasive, or underhand manner; equivocate

6. to move or cause to move clumsily

   he shuffled out of the door

7. (intr) to dance the shuffle

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noun

1. the act or an instance of shuffling

2. a dance or dance step with short dragging movements of the feet

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• shuffler
  noun
• reshuffle
  verb
• unshuffled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• shuffles
  plural

Participles

• shuffling
  present
• shuffled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• shuffle
  simple
• shuffles
  simple
• have shuffled
  perfect
• has shuffled
  perfect
• am shuffling
  progressive
• are shuffling
  progressive
• is shuffling
  progressive
• have been shuffling
  perfect progressive
• has been shuffling
  perfect progressive

Past

• shuffled
  simple
• had shuffled
  perfect
• was shuffling
  progressive
• were shuffling
  progressive
• had been shuffling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will shuffle
  simple
• will have shuffled
  perfect
• will be shuffling
  progressive
• will have been shuffling
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of shuffle

1525–35; < Low German schuffeln to walk clumsily or with dragging feet, mix (cards); akin to shovel

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Explanation

To shuffle is to drag your feet slowly along the ground as you walk. A kid might shuffle reluctantly off to his room only after being told five times that it's bedtime. Shuffle also means to wiggle around, like if you shuffle uncomfortably in your seat while watching a five-hour movie. If you get lost in the shuffle, you’re lost in the crowd. Another way to use shuffle is to mean "mix up in a random way," as you do with a deck of cards before dealing a hand. Shuffle probably comes from the Low German word schuffeln, which means both "to walk clumsily" and "to deal dishonestly."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shuffle shuffles shuffled shuffling

I look at the dance floor as this great equalizer, where different people can put their differences aside and shuffle around the floor and have a good time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Tourtsakis had me lie down and shuffle upward until the pyramid’s center was over my hips.

From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026

There will be a casting shuffle between seasons for the character of Ginny Weasley, member of the ginger clan and Harry’s future love interest.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who served as Indonesia’s finance minister for nearly 14 of the past 20 years and was long seen as the country’s fiscal guardian, was removed in a cabinet shuffle last September.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

Then from out in the cave came the shuffle of feet down the corridor and voices getting louder into the valley.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline

The eight-speed transmission shuffles up to overdrive as soon as the throttle pressure slackens.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

Heineken’s move is the latest of CEO shuffles in the food and beverage industries.

From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026

He doesn’t meet my eyes and shuffles quickly out the door when the class ends.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026

That Garbus shuffles late-night bits into the action punctuates the blur of corporate interests and celebrity that the Murdochs represent.

From Salon ● Mar. 14, 2026

Then the woman who is not my grandmother shuffles out of the kitchen, leaving me alone with the mysterious box.

From "Dragons in a Bag" by Zetta Elliott

When singer-songwriter Beck Hansen broke through in 1994, he was seen as an artist who shuffled sounds of the past to find novel combinations he could call his own.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Jason Beaman, a Navy and Army vet, was shuffled among therapists who later left until he finally had enough.

From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026

The company has also shuffled its lower ranks over that time.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 8, 2026

The U.S. players, meanwhile, shuffled off toward home with a different tune ringing in their ears.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026

They shuffled silently and slowly back to the road, past the indifferent bees.

From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack

The lineup shuffling manager Dave Roberts did against Sale had superstar Shohei Ohtani, batting fifth, walking up to the plate with two outs and runners on first and second.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

He didn’t waste time shuffling his executive ranks, often by bringing in people with Walmart experience.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

"This is simply the shuffling around of existing departmental budgets," they added.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

Those supports are a vital part of a long-term-care plan, and could do more to help stretch funds than any shuffling around of index funds or tax strategizing.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026

Often she spends this time with Tsukiko, but instead of seeking out the contortionist this particular evening, she sits alone at her table, shuffling her tarot deck compulsively.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

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Related Words

• drag
• limp
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