shuffle

UK: /ˈʃʌf^əl/ US: /ˈʃʌfəl/ ,(shuf′əl)

Inflections of 'shuffle' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

shuffles

v 3rd person singular

shuffling

v pres p

shuffled

v past

shuffled

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

shuf•fle /ˈʃʌfəl/   v., -fled, -fling, n. 
v. 

1. to walk without lifting the feet;
   shamble:
   [no object] He shuffled around the room.
2. to move (one's feet) along the ground or floor without lifting them:
   [~ + object] shuffled her feet to the music.
3. to rearrange (objects, etc.) by mixing together randomly: [~ + object]
   shuffling papers on his desk.
   [no object]
   Whose turn is it to shuffle?
4. shuffle off, [no object] to move or go away:
   She shuffled off to bed.

n. [countable]

5. a scraping or sliding movement, esp. a dragging walk.
6. an act or instance of shuffling something, as cards, or of changing something, such as an office staff:
   An office shuffle meant he was out of a job.

shuf•fler, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

shuf•fle  (shuf′əl), v., -fled, -fling, n. 
v.i. 

1. to walk without lifting the feet or with clumsy steps and a shambling gait.
2. Music and Dance to scrape the feet over the floor in dancing.
3. to move clumsily (usually fol. by into):
   to shuffle into one's clothes.
4. to act underhandedly or evasively with respect to a stated situation (often fol. by in, into, or out of ):
   to shuffle out of one's responsibilities.
5. to intermix so as to change the relative positions of cards in a pack.

v.t. 

6. to move (one's feet) along the ground or floor without lifting them.
7. Music and Dance to perform (a dance) with such movements.
8. to move (an object or objects) this way and that.
9. to put, thrust, or bring trickily, evasively, or haphazardly (usually fol. by in, into, out, etc.):
   to shuffle one's way into favor.
10. Games to mix (cards in a pack) so as to change the relative positions.
11. to jumble together, mix, or interchange the positions of (objects).
12. shuffle off:
    • to thrust aside;
      get rid of.
    • to move away by, or as if by, shuffling:
      They shuffled off to school with little enthusiasm.

n. 

13. a scraping movement;
    dragging gait.
14. an evasive trick;
    evasion.
15. an act or instance of shuffling.
16. Games [Cards.]
    • a shuffling of cards in a pack.
    • the right or turn to shuffle preparatory to dealing:
      You win the shuffle.
17. Music and Dance a dance in which the feet are shuffled along the floor.

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

Synonyms

• 6. drag, scrape, scuff.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

shuffle / ˈʃʌf^əl/ 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. when intr, often followed by into or out of: to move or cause to move clumsily: he shuffled out of the door

noun

1. the act or an instance of shuffling
2. a dance or dance step with short dragging movements of the feet

Etymology: 16th Century: probably from Low German schüffeln; see shove

ˈshuffler noun