roam

verb \ ˈrōm \

|Updated on: 21 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: roam in a Sentence

Definition of roam

roamed; roaming; roams

intransitive verb

1 : to go from place to place without purpose or direction : wander

2 : to travel purposefully unhindered through a wide area

cattle roaming in search of water

3 : to use a cellular phone outside one's local calling area

roaming charges

transitive verb

: to range or wander over

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roam

noun

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roamer

noun

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See roam defined for kids

Examples of roam in a Sentence

The cattle roamed in search of water.
Goats roam free on the mountain.
He roamed about in search of work.
The chickens are able to roam around freely in the farmyard.
We roamed around town for a while before dinner.
She liked to roam through the woods.

Recent Examples of roam from the Web

From boars roaming Berlin and gangs of baboons in Cape Town to a mountain lion in the Hollywood Hills and coyotes in Chicago, the swelling ranks of new and eager urban dwellers include many wild animals.

— aditi shrikant, BostonGlobe.com, "When wild animals urbanize," 13 July 2018
Baobabs stud southern Africa’s hot, dry stretches of savanna and are often in areas roamed by elephants, rhinos and other wildlife.

— Washington Post, "Africa’s iconic baobab trees dying off at alarming rate," 13 July 2018
Last year, McKissick and AMFM gallery tested the concept on a smaller scale with the gallery’s popular roaming jazz series as part of the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Park programming.

— britt julious, chicagotribune.com, "The Feast festival offers a chance to binge on sounds, and help the city's food deserts," 12 July 2018
Horror movies, the Scary-oke stage, roaming characters, face painting, rides and games galore!

— catherine strawn, Country Living, "17 Amazing Halloween Celebrations Across America," 11 July 2018
Another, a ranch hand, described a death squad boss roaming the property freely on horseback.

— New York Times, "In Colombian Death Ranch Case, Some Fear Prosecution Will Be Buried," 8 July 2018
One such vehicle ran over and killed one of the horses the first week of June, as the mare roamed among the dunes.

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "New threat emerges for NC's famous wild horses, prompting campaign aimed at tourists," 2 July 2018
The mats get people onto the beach, while chairs are used to roam the sand.

— avalon r. zoppo, Philly.com, "Getting her wheelchair on the beach was a struggle. Brigantine just made it easier," 10 July 2018
As long as the defensive line keeps the second level clean, Michigan’s linebackers should be able to roam free and make plays again this season.

— nick baumgardner, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan LBs Devin Bush Jr., Khaleke Hudson are modern wrecking balls," 28 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'roam.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of roam

Middle English romen

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

roam Synonyms

Synonyms

bat, cruise, drift, float, gad (about), gallivant (also galavant), kick around, knock (about), maunder, meander, mooch, ramble, range, rove, traipse, wander;

Related Words

amble, saunter, stroll;

dawdle, mope;

gypsy, hobo, tramp, vagabond;

mill (about or around);

straggle, stray;

Synonym Discussion of roam

wander, roam, ramble, rove, traipse, meander mean to go about from place to place usually without a plan or definite purpose. wander implies an absence of or an indifference to a fixed course.