shuffle

American  

[shuhf-uhl] / ˈʃʌf əl /

verb (used without object)

shuffled, shuffling

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)

shuffled, shuffling

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

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

• reshuffle
  verb
• shuffler
  noun
• unshuffled
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of shuffle

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

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

As the battle for places in Europe hots up in the Premier League, the race to shuffle papers to satisfy Uefa's bureaucrats has been just as intense.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

When “Swinging Party,” by the Replacements, came on my shuffle for the millionth time, I knew I had to do something different.

From Slate • Apr. 12, 2026

Every time I needed a single ingredient, I had to shuffle through a stack of identical, unlabeled bins, opening and closing them like a particularly tedious shell game.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

After the iPod, there was an iPod mini, an iPod nano and an iPod shuffle.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

I shuffle around behind it, savoring the way my slippers scuffle.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Related Words

• drag
• limp
• straggle
• stumble