as in to roam
to move about from place to place aimlessly
he gads about town every Saturday, flirting and gossiping with various shopkeepers and locals
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in nomad
a person who roams about without a fixed route or destination
she was a thoughtful gadabout, always picking up souvenirs for her friends from wherever her travels took her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in peripatetic
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of gad (about)
Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2023
For those of us who won’t be joining in the sybaritic excursion, Matches is bringing the Riviera gadabout vibes to all with capsule collections of women’s, men’s and home products curated by Sciò and Rabensteiner.
—Todd Plummer, Robb Report, 5 May 2022
But a linesman stepped in and prevented the gadabout angler from bringing in the catch.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Nov. 2021
Hardly the schedule of a social gadabout.
—New York Times, 5 Aug. 2021
The giggling gadabout who dies penniless.
—Cory Oldweiler, Star Tribune, 11 Dec. 2020
Writer, comedian, and social gadabout Lucas Murphy sits down with friends and contemporaries to solve the New York Times crossword puzzle.
—Savannah Eadens, The Courier-Journal, 20 Apr. 2020
So, a solar charging system fits perfectly with your gadabout persona.
—The Editors, Field & Stream, 10 Apr. 2020
Simon is so reserved that even his live-in girlfriend (an egregiously underused Olivia Thirlby) has given up on him; Trevor is a kooky gadabout who’d be right at home trading druggy celebrity anecdotes with Oliver Putnam.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Noun
The wild career of David Johansen — New York Dolls frontman, punk gadabout, occasional actor, and Buster Poindexter portrayer — will be the focus of an upcoming documentary co-directed by Martin Scorsese.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2023
For those of us who won’t be joining in the sybaritic excursion, Matches is bringing the Riviera gadabout vibes to all with capsule collections of women’s, men’s and home products curated by Sciò and Rabensteiner.
—Todd Plummer, Robb Report, 5 May 2022
But a linesman stepped in and prevented the gadabout angler from bringing in the catch.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Nov. 2021
Hardly the schedule of a social gadabout.
—New York Times, 5 Aug. 2021
The giggling gadabout who dies penniless.
—Cory Oldweiler, Star Tribune, 11 Dec. 2020
Writer, comedian, and social gadabout Lucas Murphy sits down with friends and contemporaries to solve the New York Times crossword puzzle.
—Savannah Eadens, The Courier-Journal, 20 Apr. 2020
So, a solar charging system fits perfectly with your gadabout persona.
—The Editors, Field & Stream, 10 Apr. 2020
Simon is so reserved that even his live-in girlfriend (an egregiously underused Olivia Thirlby) has given up on him; Trevor is a kooky gadabout who’d be right at home trading druggy celebrity anecdotes with Oliver Putnam.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gad (about)
Verb
-
Or for the suggestion that Chinese intelligence operatives were roaming near sensitive sites with impunity.—
Adam Ciralsky,
Vanity Fair,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Elephants, hippos, buffalo, giraffes, gazelles, zebras, impalas and warthogs — all roaming free just a stone’s throw from our dusty 4×4 in Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park.—
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Increasingly erratic precipitation since the 1980s has forced many nomads to come in from the desert.—
Kevin West,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Another camp speculates that these forebears met human nomads on the trail of big game and started traveling with them, eventually arriving in China via Mongolia through their supporting role as war dogs.—
Andrew Norman Wilson,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Empower has also advised veteran former Manchester United and Portugal midfielder Nani throughout a career that has included spells in the United States, Australia, Italy, Turkey and a return to his homeland in its peripatetic latter years.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
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The peripatetic singer-songwriter’s eponymous third album is a document of wandering and longing.—
Marissa Lorusso,
Pitchfork,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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His resume also includes finding a patient with dementia who wandered away from a care facility and tracking down a bank robbery suspect.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
In New York City alone, perfume lovers can wander into beloved destinations like Scent Bar or Aedes Perfumery to explore shelves of hard-to-find bottles.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Home to over 120 wineries and tasting rooms, Woodinville’s location makes the property an ideal staycation for Washington state locals looking to explore the region’s excellent wines, and a luxurious getaway for travelers seeking to be wined and dined.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Mar. 2026
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All terminals remain connected past security, and travelers can access any gate from any open checkpoint, according to PHL.—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Tenet Health also owns ambulatory surgery centers, urgent care centers and imaging centers across Florida, including Miami-Dade and Broward counties.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Yelenda was slightly lethargic, had a right sided head tilt and was non-ambulatory.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Unlike most comets, which originate in the Kuiper Belt or the Oort Cloud, this icy wanderer formed around another star before drifting into our cosmic neighborhood.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
2 Mar. 2026
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Spader plays Graham, an enigmatic wanderer who inserts himself into the lives of his old friend John (Peter Gallagher), his wife Ann (Andie MacDowell) and her sister Cynthia (San Giacomo), drawing out all manner of confessions and revelations.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Video of the rescue shows the Cutter Mackinaw’s crane hoisting the snowmobile off a drifting piece of ice as the slab steadily shrinks beneath it before the vehicle is lifted safely onto the vessel.—
Ashley Carnahan,
FOXNews.com,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Severe freezes in the mid-1890s resulted in a decline in the citrus industry, causing residents to drift away and leaving only 10 families living in Ethel in 1910.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gad (about).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gad%20%28about%29. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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