shuffle

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to mix a deck of cards so they are in a random order.

v. to rearrange a deck of playing cards to produce a random probability distribution.

“It is your turn to shuffle the cards before you deal them.”

“The dealer shuffled the deck with professional speed, ensuring the players that the game was entirely fair.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Computing

v. to play songs from a list in a random order.

v. to play digital audio tracks in a non-sequential, randomized order.

“I usually shuffle my playlist when I go for a run.”

“The media player allows users to shuffle tracks within a specific genre or across their entire library.”

C2 · Proficiency Formal

v. to avoid giving a clear answer or to act in a dishonest way.

v. to behave in an evasive or prevaricating manner; to shift ground during an argument.

“The politician started to shuffle when asked about the missing funds.”

“When pressed for a definitive timeline, the CEO began to shuffle, offering vague platitudes instead of concrete dates.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. a way of walking where you drag your feet.

n. a slow, dragging gait characterized by a failure to lift the feet.

“I heard the soft shuffle of footsteps in the dark corridor.”

“The patient's slow shuffle indicated that his recovery was still in the very early stages.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Music Technical

n. a specific rhythm in blues or jazz music that sounds like a heartbeat.

n. a rhythmic feel based on triplet subdivisions, common in blues and jazz, where the first note of a pair is lengthened.

“The drummer played a classic blues shuffle that made everyone want to dance.”

“The guitarist mastered the Texas shuffle, a driving rhythm that requires precise coordination between the bass notes and the lead melody.”