cast adrift

verb

cast adrift; casting adrift; casts adrift

1

: to cause (a boat) to float on the water without being tied to anything or controlled by anyone

—often used as (be) cast adrift

a small lifeboat was cast adrift in the open sea

2

: to cause (someone) to float on the water in a boat that is not tied to anything or controlled by anyone

—often used as (be) cast adrift

They were cast adrift in a small, leaky boat.

—often used figuratively

I was cast adrift in a sea of confusion.

Examples of cast adrift in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Last season, a clear bottom three were cast adrift. —Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026

These evocative, volcanic islands, cast adrift off the northeast coast of Sicily, remain salted, fresh, and gloriously disheveled. —Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026

Yes, Oregon State’s 10-7 victory over Washington State was the hardest of hard watches, 60 minutes of offensive offense and depleted rosters from programs that were cast adrift in the realignment seas. —Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2025

We’ve all been cast adrift in the cognitive dissonance between the visceral seriousness of the crime and the abject flippancy of the shooter, the brutality of the shooting and the memes reacting to Kirk’s bigoted views. —Raven Smith, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2025

Rhymes for cast adrift

• airlift
• facelift
• festschrift
• forklift
• gearshift
• makeshift
• redshift
• sealift
• snowdrift
• spendthrift
• clift
• drift