1
as in to flow
to move or proceed smoothly and readily
casual conversation drifting from one topic to another
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to hover
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air
the boat drifted along on the current
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to wander
to move about from place to place aimlessly
spent several years drifting from town to town, picking up odd jobs whenever he needed cash
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
2
as in tide
a prevailing or general movement or inclination
the steady drift of the population away from large cities
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in sense
the idea that is conveyed or intended to be conveyed to the mind by language, symbol, or action
you should expect a visit from the stork, if you get my drift
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of drift
Robert Lea, Space.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Then, of course, there’s the famed photo of Juan Manuel Fangio drifting at the 1957 French Grand Prix.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 14 Apr. 2025
Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2025
This helps identify inconsistencies, drift patterns and potential issues that could impact model performance over time.
—Neel Sendas, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drift
Verb
That doesn't necessarily mean dark matter haloes sans galaxies can drift through the cosmos like gigantic ghosts, though.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Then, of course, there’s the famed photo of Juan Manuel Fangio drifting at the 1957 French Grand Prix.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
Listen to this article Thoughts of home drift in and out for Max Shulga, but life at Virginia Commonwealth moves too fast to leave much room to feel the pain from 5,000 miles away.
—Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2025
This helps identify inconsistencies, drift patterns and potential issues that could impact model performance over time.
—Neel Sendas, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drift
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drift
Verb
-
The rich sat on deck while the poor were squeezed in the hold below, with no place to relieve themselves, so excrement, vomit, and other wastes flowed down into the lower areas.—
Lauren Vuong,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2025
-
The liquor flows so freely that the rest room nearly becomes a vomitorium.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Uncertainty still hovers over Bryce Huff, a splash signing in 2024.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
-
From a terminal far out of harm’s way, drone pilots could hover in the sky for hours, soaking up surveillance information, building a case for precisely whom to bomb and when to do it.—
Colin Jones,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
After a 3-month long girls trip along Florida’s Gulf Coast, a wayward pair of endangered North Atlantic right whales known as Curlew and Koala have finally wandered back to the Atlantic Ocean.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Alberta is skeptical… until Hetty points out how Pete has been wandering and dating up a storm, was secretly in the mafia and punched Thor in the face after the Viking slept with Carol.—
Vlada Gelman,
TVLine,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Ohtani should find his way back to the mound at some point this season and reestablish himself as a dominant force, not only as a batter but also as a pitcher.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
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With a left-hander on the mound, Oscar Gonzalez will start in left field and Yuli Gurriel will serve as the DH, sending Gavin Sheets to a pinch-hitting role.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Arroyo memorializes ordinary buildings at risk of being swept up in the tide of gentrification in Miami through his paintings, while Simmons creates with concrete, fabric, acrylic, found objects and construction debris to form architectural sculptures and mixed media works.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Apr. 2025
-
This rising tide has been spurred in large part by billionaires, particularly Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and, to a lesser extent, Richard Branson.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Colts’ draft analysis • Mock draft analysis: Does TE still make the most sense in Round1?—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2025
-
In this sense, Biden’s brand of post-neoliberalism fed the body but not the soul.—
Jennifer M. Harris,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The stick itself also glides onto the skin very easily without slipping or getting caught in drier or harder-to-reach areas of the face.—
Danielle Jackson,
Glamour,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Fifteen speakers lurk behind acoustic fabric; nine sit directly behind a woven French Screen Research surface that lets full-range frequencies glide through untouched.—
Spencer Elliott,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Trump floated a plan to nix the federal income tax and replace revenue with money from tariffs.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Governor Kathy Hochul later floated her own Brooklyn-to-Queens light-rail project, the Interborough Express, or IBX.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drift. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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