Riffle (Verb)
Meaning 1
Twitch or flutter; "the paper flicked".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- A sudden breeze caused the leaves to riffle through the air before settling gently to the ground.
- Her eyelids began to riffle as she struggled to stay awake.
- The flames from the fire made the shadows on the wall riffle and dance in the darkness.
- The bird's wings started to riffle wildly as it took flight from the branch.
- A faint smile played on her lips as her fingers began to riffle the edges of the photograph.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
Stir up (water) so as to form ripples.
Classification
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming.
Examples
- The child's stone skipped across the lake, began to riffle the water's calm surface.
- Throwing a handful of pebbles into the puddle would riffle the reflected sky above.
- A gentle breeze started to riffle the lake's glassy surface, disturbing the tranquility.
- As the speedboat moved across the calm waters of the bay, it began to riffle the surface.
- Any disturbance would riffle the otherwise still water of the reflecting pool, spoiling the photographs.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 3
Look through a book or other written material; "He thumbed through the report"; "She leafed through the volume".
Classification
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling.
Examples
- She riffled through the pages of the old novel, scanning for any memorable passages.
- He riffled through the newspaper, searching for the latest sports updates.
- During his lunch break, he riffled through a glossy car magazine, admiring the latest models.
- She sat in the library, quietly riffled through the research papers, making notes for her project.
- He riffled through his textbook, struggling to find the relevant chapter for the exam.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 4
Shuffle (playing cards) by separating the deck into two parts and riffling with the thumbs so the cards intermix.
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- She expertly shuffled the deck by riffling the two halves together so the cards intermixed randomly.
- To create a perfect shuffle, it's essential to learn how to riffle a deck of cards with your thumbs.
- Beginners often struggle to riffle the cards smoothly, causing them to clump together or drop to the floor.
- He carefully separated the deck in half and then riffled them back together with a precise, elegant motion.
- Her thumbs moved deftly as she riffling the cards, creating a blur of color and motion.