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
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Recent Examples of riffle
Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2024
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
Samindra Kunti, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for riffle
Verb
Palm fronds riffled in the hot breeze as the sky darkened and the air smelled, mysteriously, of salad dressing.
—Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2024
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
Noun
Tanks and soldiers with riffles have lined the streets of the Paraguayan capital all week.
—Samindra Kunti, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for riffle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riffle
Verb
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Finally, Mira chalked her hands, boosted herself onto a dangling metal hoop, flipped upside down, and hung from a single knee, arms spread out like a rotor.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Once Wagner went down with a strained calf and missed the final three games, everything flipped.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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In spring, when the trees start to leaf, Cedar Mountain comes alive with toe-tapping music, pottery studios, galleries and locals who welcome you in.—
Belinda Luksic,
Southern Living,
1 May 2026
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At the site, trees are leafing as workers add finishing touches.—
Aria Jones,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There are no costume changes, just a jersey-and-shorts combo that wouldn’t look out of place at a backyard barbecue and loose curls that Eilish styles each night herself.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2026
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One of the major keys to popping curls is a healthy scalp, and this two-in-one cleanser and scrub keeps roots and follicles in prime condition so hair can flourish.—
Aimee Simeon,
Glamour,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Emin’s masterpiece thumbed its nose at a tradition of recumbent feminine flesh on tousled white sheets (think Titian’s Venus of Urbino, Manet’s Olympia, or any number of bosomy Lucian Freud nudes).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
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Unfortunately, that’s the only real recourse the public has with a Congress that still gleefully thumbs its nose at the laws and rules that apply to others.—
Douglas MacKinnon,
Washington Post,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Stretching or using a foam roller on sore or tight muscles can apply pressure to the fascia while stretching the limb, Kanjiya says.—
Scott Haak,
EverydayHealth.com,
6 May 2026
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Guests can partake in different activities, ranging from a dedicated LEGO Family Zone to roller skating, bumper cars and wellness sessions led by professional coaches.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Don’t skim the surface, and get to the bottom of things.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
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The SpanxSupersmooth SoftStretch Slim Joggers skim the body for a look that’s slightly tailored but still loose.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
6 May 2026
Noun
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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
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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 8 May. 2026.
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