drift off
phrasal verb
drifted off; drifting off; drifts off
informal
: to fall asleep
She drifted off while I was still talking.
He gradually drifted off to sleep.
Examples of drift off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In some instances, only some of the captives were able to escape; in others, the captives were unable to return to land because of their lack of navigational skills, and their ships were found drifting off the African coasts.
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Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
Will seems to be perpetually scribbling one play after another by candlelight, then drifting off to London to pitch his shows to an emerging disarray of theatrical producers — aspiring manipulators who have money and titles as well as risky political entanglements.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 4 Dec. 2025
First responders found that an older model pickup truck that was towing a small utility trailer had drifted off the right side of the road, crashing into some trees.
—Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 28 Nov. 2025
After tucking her in, the 32-year-old mom continued her nightly routine, thinking that her youngest was drifting off to sleep.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drift off
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Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
Will seems to be perpetually scribbling one play after another by candlelight, then drifting off to London to pitch his shows to an emerging disarray of theatrical producers — aspiring manipulators who have money and titles as well as risky political entanglements.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 4 Dec. 2025
First responders found that an older model pickup truck that was towing a small utility trailer had drifted off the right side of the road, crashing into some trees.
—Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 28 Nov. 2025
After tucking her in, the 32-year-old mom continued her nightly routine, thinking that her youngest was drifting off to sleep.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drift off
Cite this Entry
“Drift off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drift%20off. Accessed 12 Dec. 2025.
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