riffle 1 of 2

verb

ˈri-fəl How to pronounce riffle (audio)
Definition of rifflenext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

riffle

2 of 2

noun

as in wavelet

Related Words

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
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
  1. flip
  2. wavelet
  3. leaf
  4. curl
  5. thumb
  6. roller
  7. skim
  8. comber
Verb
  • Following Warsh's keynote speech Friday at the Fed's annual Jackson Hole, Wyoming symposium, markets flipped on rate expectations.
    — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
  • For a business owner whose returns understate what the company brings in, this flips the math.
    — Karen Koehler, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of flip
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
Definition of wavelet
Verb
  • These emotions are pertinent not only to the plant or leaf itself but also to living matter in its vicinity.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Planting a leafed-out, growing hosta from a pot is identical to any other transplanting process.
    — Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 29 June 2026
Definition of leaf
Noun
  • Made for pretty much every texture, the airy foam gives fine-to-medium hair body without weighing it down, while helping define and smooth thicker waves and curls without sacrificing movement.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Candlelit copper builds it right into your hair, with soft, glowy highlights that add richness and warmth (especially on curls like Megan Thee Stallion’s).
    — Alyssa Rotunno, InStyle, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of curl
Verb
  • British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is handing Ukraine the blueprints to a valuable piece of his country’s military technology, thumbing his nose at a Kremlin that says the United Kingdom is now a party in the conflict.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Orion gave a smirk and thumbs up to the camera while Keats made a funny face and stuck his tongue out.
    — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of thumb
Noun
  • Other highlights include the 50th anniversary of Anacostia Park’s beloved roller skating pavilion; fairs dedicated to works by female artists; and international festivals with food, music and dancing.
    — Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The researchers used a roller system similar to the one used in paper manufacturing, and were able to produce mycelium sheets about 20 cm (8 in) wide and 8 meters (26 ft) long.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of roller
Verb
  • Winner of the Best Actress prize at Sarajevo after premiering in the Berlinale’s Perspectives section, the film has a bleak, unflinching gaze that sometimes skims the edges of shock-value miserablism.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Over the Fourth of July weekend, a series of storms skimmed the south of the city, pummeling Coney Island and the Rockaways with sand and sending beach umbrellas spinning like tops.
    — Matthew Schneier, Curbed, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of skim
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
Definition of comber

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Riffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riffle. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on riffle

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about riffle

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