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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Now flip it around and imagine Pavia as a mini-Mendoza, a guy who projects to spend quiet nights playing Clue with Kirk Cousins and his family in greater Las Vegas.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Now there’s a chance to flip the script — using money the borough’s wealthier neighbor has already generated.—
Peter Peyser,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 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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At the site, trees are leafing as workers add finishing touches.—
Aria Jones,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Mar. 2026
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But other begonia varieties have foliage that can hold its own in the garden when the plants aren't flowering, too, like the Polka Dot begonia (Begonia maculata) and the orange-leafed 'Autumn Crinkle' begonia, a rhizomatous hybrid.—
Derek Carwood,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Jojoba seed oil and sunflower seed extract hydrate dry hair so curls stay bouncy and not crunchy.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
29 Apr. 2026
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Then there’s the Medium Conditioner, which features shea butter, castor oil, and panthenol to smooth the cuticle and lock in hydration, keeping curls soft and defined.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
28 Apr. 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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Caleb Foster thumbed over his shoulder to move Cam Boozer.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The only hit was Tatis’ 58 mph roller to shortstop in the seventh.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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DeVos joins an eclectic mix of owners, including high-roller consortia, venture capitalists, entertainers, and celebrities.—
G.W. Allen,
Robb Report,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This cardigan features a slightly cropped cut that skims the waist, a crew neckline, tonal iridescent buttons, and a ribbed trim.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Apr. 2026
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Bodies were sighted, but fuel that could have been easily ignited and the natural terrain hampered rescue efforts to the point where even airboats were eventually prohibited from skimming the river of grass to help.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 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 2 May. 2026.
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