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
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Recent Examples of drift
Clare Malone, New Yorker, 12 May 2025
Rent a kayak or tube in Marlinton or Cass and spend the day drifting under sycamore branches and listening to the water lap against the hull.
—West Virginia Tourism, AFAR Media, 9 May 2025
Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 30 Apr. 2025
Inside are nestled a half-dozen standard-size dumplings of your choice, like nothing so much as a clutch of tiny, steamy babies, with a few drifts of black pepper freshly ground over the top.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drift
Verb
After the film, guests drifted to a reception in a large gallery, where Woodward soon confronted Bill Murray.
—Clare Malone, New Yorker, 12 May 2025
Rent a kayak or tube in Marlinton or Cass and spend the day drifting under sycamore branches and listening to the water lap against the hull.
—West Virginia Tourism, AFAR Media, 9 May 2025
Noun
While constantly under a cloud of controversy due to his recent drift towards hate speech, Ye (formerly Kanye West) has also remained a consistent commercial performer, with six-digit first-week unit bows for both of his Vultures 1 & 2 sets.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 30 Apr. 2025
Inside are nestled a half-dozen standard-size dumplings of your choice, like nothing so much as a clutch of tiny, steamy babies, with a few drifts of black pepper freshly ground over the top.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drift
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drift
Verb
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After dark, back at the port, Deste threw a free celebration: islanders and visitors danced to live bands on a stage as wine, beer, and ouzo flowed, and souvlaki sandwiches were handed out to all and sundry.—
Tony Perrottet,
Travel + Leisure,
13 May 2025
-
Campers will need to either bring their own or treat the water in the river (when flowing).—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2025
Verb
-
In contrast, Trump, who Forbes estimates has a net worth hovering around $5 billion, has surrounded himself with other billionaires, appointing several of them to the wealthiest presidential cabinet in U.S. history.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
2 May 2025
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How the infection can be stopped Take a look at the tuberculosis numbers in Florida and the rest of the U.S. by hovering over each state.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
Without the puck, Nurse and Bouchard have the same weakness (read and react, wandering).—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
-
Instead, Shuai wanders about pouring other people’s drinks.—
Caroline Framke,
Vulture,
2 May 2025
Noun
-
Aiden Jimenez, who struggled in Game 1, is back on the mound to pitch the bottom of the eighth.—
Matt Jones,
Arkansas Online,
12 May 2025
-
Attending high school baseball games is free, so the best ticket around might be going to watch Hernandez pitch when he’s expected to be on the mound next Tuesday in Corona’s playoff opener.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2025
Noun
-
His replacement, Anthony Banda, failed to stem a turning tide.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2025
-
But the tide is changing, and according to Sturdivant-Drew, the hue is right on trend with the natural aesthetics that have been popular recently.—
Jessica Fields,
Essence,
8 May 2025
Noun
-
The story is like a gentle hug, wrapping you up in a sense of comfort and contentment.—
American Booksellers Association,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
-
In that sense, not much has changed from last year at this time.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Verb
-
Fresh off a victory that propelled the New York Knicks to the second round of the playoffs, Bridges glided to his locker, Eurostepping a ghost and pretending to take off from his right leg.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
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The moon glides through Leo today, inspiring a bold entrepreneurial move.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
Verb
-
The three-time César nominee and President of the doc prize jury at this year’s Cannes Film Festival will play an expat single mother who runs a floating bar with her teenage son in a luxury resort town in South Africa‘s North West province.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
12 May 2025
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The space will be filled with floating candles, wands, mystical music and staff dressed in costume.—
San Diego Union-Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drift. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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