as in to flip
to turn over pages in an idle or cursory manner
Web research is convenient but doesn't offer the tactile pleasures of riffling through heavy old books
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of riffle
The New Yorker, New Yorker, 14 May 2025
On the water, target current breaks, pools, and deep riffles where trout will wait and ambush their food.
—Max Inchausti, Field & Stream, 12 June 2024
Stefan Krajisnik, USA TODAY, 20 July 2023
Keep reading to check out more weekend deals, or head straight to Amazon to riffle through everything else that's on sale right now.
—Amy Schulman, PEOPLE.com, 6 May 2022
See All Example Sentences for riffle
Verb
Very often, the single word that completes the thought in a Maclean line is the fly that drops perfectly onto the riffle.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 14 May 2025
On the water, target current breaks, pools, and deep riffles where trout will wait and ambush their food.
—Max Inchausti, Field & Stream, 12 June 2024
Noun
Highlight reels of 13 SEC quarterbacks Milton was the talk of the offseason after riffling passes longer than 70 yards at the Manning Passing Academy in June.
—Stefan Krajisnik, USA TODAY, 20 July 2023
Keep reading to check out more weekend deals, or head straight to Amazon to riffle through everything else that's on sale right now.
—Amy Schulman, PEOPLE.com, 6 May 2022
See All Example Sentences for riffle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riffle
Verb
-
As this tragedy unfolds, every stone should be flipped to find ways to prevent such horrific loss of life.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
-
Video showed masses of children, many in shorts and flip flops or barefoot, standing in an indoor basketball gymnasium.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
6 July 2025
Noun
-
Pipe those wavelets of foie gras feculence over to neighboring Surfside, a two-bathroom kind of town with waste pipes galore.—
Pat Beall,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 June 2025
-
Its wavelets lap enticingly at our feet, but the breaker that might truly knock the breath out of us never comes.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Trees are leafing, birds are chirping and the mere thought of sending a Microsoft Teams or Slack message feels like an affront to Mother Nature; spring has finally sprung in Indianapolis.—
Bradley Hohulin,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
-
This is because of the increasing demands for networking and switches to connect exponentially larger clusters, from spine to leaf in the front end and back end, rack to rack and accelerator to accelerator.—
Beth Kindig,
Forbes,
19 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
This method is helpful for people with tight curls and uneven hair loss patterns.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
-
For Rihanna’s 3rd Annual Diamond Ball in 2017, Lil’ Kim continued the matte beauty beat trend, pairing it with finger wave-like curls, seconded by her 2019 BET Awards look.—
India Espy-Jones,
Essence,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
During the 2024 legislative session, Tipton's version of the bill needed just one last call to the floor, one final thumbs up from House members.—
Stephanie Kuzydym,
The Courier-Journal,
3 July 2025
-
More than 1,600 reviewers give this cheesy pasta two thumbs up – or five stars.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
22 June 2025
Noun
-
Once the rollers or pins are removed, mist a texturizing spray through the roots.—
Fiona Embleton,
Glamour,
12 July 2025
-
This cordless device has six free-spinning massage heads, 24 massage nodes, and nonabrasive rollers that won't pinch your skin.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
The seventh full moon of 2025 was one of the lowest-hanging of the year, skimming the southern horizon and setting in the southwest close to sunrise.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
-
There’s something wonderfully timeless about pushing off from shore in a canoe as the paddles dip quietly through calm water as dragonflies skim by.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
29 June 2025
Noun
-
In the scope was one of the many tiny fish bones that were found that day, probably belonging to a small comber or a wrasse.—
Paul Greenberg,
Smithsonian Magazine,
21 Dec. 2022
-
The destructive combers continued to undermine dwellings near the water’s edge at West Newport Beach.—
Scott Harrison,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Riffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riffle. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share