while riffling through

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "while riffling through" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when describing the action of quickly flipping through pages or items, often in a casual or hurried manner. Example: "She found an old photograph while riffling through the pages of her scrapbook."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Picture it: Super-intelligent Brits wearing scarlet, chattering Shakespeare while riffling through their Gutenberg Bibles.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

The kids made two trips into the tchotchke shop before the Breadman emerged, and when he did, ambling around the snout of the van while distractedly riffling through pages fixed to a clipboard, a chorus of greetings went up from the crowd.

The New Yorker

Mr Laurier, who rode around with half a dozen travelling workers, paints a hellish picture of sales reps riffling through papers while stuck in traffic jams; or parked in a side street, frantically plugging laptops into the cigarette lighter to hunt for clients' details.In the academic world, the mobile office is a little-researched phenomenon.

The Economist

One of the guards began riffling through my passport while the other hesitated in front of me.

Huffington Post

Imagine a scene at Enron headquarters, September 2001: Jeffrey K. Skilling stands before a group of Enron employees, while Andrew S. Fastow sits at a nearby desk, riffling through stacks of $100 bills.

The New York Times

I'm still riffling through the collection.

The New York Times - Arts

Q. (Riffling through Bean, Lands' End, Eddie Bauer catalogs).

The New York Times

Riffling through the books, Marclay zeroed in on the sexual onomatopoeias.

The New Yorker

And riffling through a dictionary takes too much time when you're midconversation.

The New York Times - Tech

I pass the time by riffling through her lingerie range, which is hanging on a rail.

Independent

Riffling through Coward's diaries, however, reveals an edgier rivalry than this show suggests.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "while riffling through" when you want to convey a sense of quickly and casually browsing or searching through something, often with a light and rapid movement.

Common error

While "while riffling through" is descriptive, avoid overusing it in your writing. Consider more concise alternatives like "browsing" or "skimming" if the speed and casualness are not essential to the meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "while riffling through" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb by providing information about the action's manner and timing. Ludwig provides examples where it describes actions like searching through documents or collections.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

95%

Science

2%

Formal & Business

1%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

0%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "while riffling through" is a descriptive phrase used to indicate a quick and casual search or browse. According to Ludwig, it functions as an adverbial phrase, specifying the manner and timing of an action. While grammatically correct and commonly found in neutral registers such as news and media, remember to consider more concise alternatives like "browsing" or "skimming" depending on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

as flipping through

Replaces "riffling" with "flipping", suggesting a quicker, less careful search.

while thumbing through

Uses "thumbing" instead of "riffling", focusing on the action of using the thumb to turn pages or items.

whilst leafing through

Substitutes "while" with the more formal "whilst" and "riffling" with "leafing", indicating a gentler browsing action.

as glancing through

Indicates a brief and casual look.

whilst scanning through

Suggests a methodical but fast search for specific information.

during a quick browse of

Uses "during" to set the time frame and "quick browse" as a noun phrase to describe the action of riffling.

as skimming through

Replaces "riffling" with "skimming", implying a very rapid and superficial search.

as sorting through quickly

Emphasizes the rapid arrangement of items.

as hastily reviewing

Conveys a sense of urgency and rapid examination.

during a fast perusal of

Uses more formal vocabulary to describe the act of quickly reading or examining something.

FAQs

How can I use "while riffling through" in a sentence?

You can use "while riffling through" to describe someone quickly browsing or searching. For example, "She found an old photograph "while riffling through" the pages of her scrapbook".

What's a simpler way to say "while riffling through"?

Alternatives include "while browsing through" or "while flipping through", which are less verbose and more commonly used in everyday speech.

Is "riffling through" appropriate for formal writing?

While grammatically correct, "riffling through" is generally more suited for informal or neutral contexts. For formal writing, consider alternatives like "examining" or "reviewing".

What is the difference between "riffling through" and "skimming through"?

"Riffling through" implies a quick, casual browsing, perhaps without a specific goal. "Skimming through", on the other hand, suggests a rapid reading to get the main points.