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
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of drift
Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Vientos hit a flare to right field that drifted toward the foul line before dropping out of the reach of a diving Dylan Crews.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2025
Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 9 Apr. 2025
And planting fruit trees along a border with agricultural fields or golf courses could make the trees more vulnerable to herbicide drift.
—Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drift
Verb
Jordan—physically static, but vocally free—flourishes when performing this kind of soaring music, and, in Nellie’s numbers, McAlpine’s haunting, Joni Mitchell timbre drifts beautifully down around him, the only warmth in a landscape growing increasingly wet and cold.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Vientos hit a flare to right field that drifted toward the foul line before dropping out of the reach of a diving Dylan Crews.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2025
Noun
However, these sticks won't employ the magnetic Hall Effect that makes drift virtually impossible.
—Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 9 Apr. 2025
And planting fruit trees along a border with agricultural fields or golf courses could make the trees more vulnerable to herbicide drift.
—Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drift
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drift
Verb
-
It could be said that mainstream media flows best with a good publisher, so maybe Journalism and Publisher will run in tandem for a bettor’s exacta.—
Jason Jones,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
-
As Venus harmonizes with Mars on May 11, expect passion and creativity to flow freely in your personal life and relationships, while the sun’s debut in Gemini lights up your ninth house of adventure and self-discovery.—
Staff Author,
People.com,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Uncertainty still hovers over Bryce Huff, a splash signing in 2024.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
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
-
And Shohei Ohtani isn’t expected back on the mound until at least the midway point of the season.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Glasnow becomes the 13th Dodgers pitcher to hit the IL this season, which doesn't consider Shohei Ohtani missing time on the mound as well.—
Mohammed Soliman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
On April 28, Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal Party won a comeback election on a tide of anti-Trump sentiment.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
-
Amid the crushing weight of history and with the sound of a large bandwagon frantically emptying across the city, Craig Berube is left to press on against the tide.—
Chris Johnston,
New York Times,
30 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
-
Why could this be a record sargassum year for Florida? LaPointe said drought in South America the past couple of years led to less water flowing from the Amazon River into the Atlantic, which meant fewer nutrients to feed the fields of floating sargassum.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
-
Her grayscale bodies float somewhere between specificity and universality.—
Najha Zigbi-Johnson,
Essence,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drift. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share