drifting 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of driftingnext
1
as in ranging

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in hovering

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Dissimilar Words

drifting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of drift
1
as in flowing
to move or proceed smoothly and readily casual conversation drifting from one topic to another

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in floating
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air the boat drifted along on the current

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in wandering
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

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 drifting
Verb
That young Israelis are drifting right is in many ways a reflection of how Israeli society differs from other wealthy democracies. — Yarden Segev, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026 And the question, increasingly, is how to engage with Chinese capability without drifting into invisible dependence. — Ruby Wang, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026 That spontaneous movement feared Ukraine was drifting back into Moscow’s orbit and wanted the country’s identity to be European. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026 The action starts at the beginning of the school year in 2015, with fiancés Pella and Mike drifting away from each other just as Owen is about to get married in Rhode Island. — Emma Alpern, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026 In the city of Hurricane in far southwestern Utah, a shipping container drifting down a street gave way Friday to a mess of mud and debris to be cleaned up as people who had evacuated earlier in the week returned home. — Mead Gruver, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026 Surreal scenes included a shipping container drifting slowly down a street. — Mead Gruver, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 These times apply to the random dot-motion task, which inherently requires waiting to see which way things are drifting. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026 The smoothness of Knock Knock echoes through the rolling mid-tempo grooves of Stiltz’s unshowy arrangements, featuring drifting pedal steel from Theo Stocks and tasteful embellishments from Ana Roxanne on piano and vocals. — Harry Thorfinn-George, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drifting
  1. wandering
  2. hovering
  3. flowing
  4. floating
  5. roaming
  6. rambling
  7. hanging
  8. gliding
Adjective
  • Probably the most famous are the Latin and Middle High German poems preserved in the Carmina Burana, which are the work of goliards—wandering clerics and university students.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Despite this informal, jam-forward approach, however, Silk Fence appear to be chasing something; an understated but steady coherence gives direction to even their most wandering moments.
    — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of wandering
Adjective
  • The drones then find the best hovering altitude before each lining up to spray the fire, one after the other.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 20 July 2026
  • He-Man was now a jolly, quip-ready hero, whose best friends were scaredy-cat Cringer (a green-and-yellow tiger who transformed into Battle Cat), and an annoying, hovering magician called Orko.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 June 2026
Definition of hovering
Verb
  • The Dolce Vita bob runs longer with soft, flowing layers, which sets it apart from the shorter, tighter shapes most associated with vintage glamour.
    — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Enterprise-level software capital is increasingly flowing into tech such as Warehouse Execution Systems (WES) and digital twins to simulate layouts, predict congestion and dynamically reroute inventory.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of flowing
Verb
  • Russia’s offer to supply floating nuclear power plants to coastal African countries emerged as a major focus of talks held with African officials at a summit in Moscow this week.
    — Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • But there are actual terrifying objects in space, entities operating on a scale that crush our minds and reduce our human experience to a mote of dust floating in the dark.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of floating
Verb
  • The experiment goes wrong, the Farmer disappears and a large, hairy creature begins roaming the woods around Mossingham.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
  • What’s most notable is the number of young people roaming around the market well before the crack of dawn, Chris says.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of roaming
Adjective
  • The rambling, low-slung main residence was extensively renovated by the couple, who also expanded with a separate building that’s tucked up under a vast lawn.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Dylan Young and his Melbourne group fill their third album with winsome and warm tracks whose best moments combine rambling guitars with tales of bruising regret.
    — Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of rambling
Adjective
  • The set of three miniature lights each features a vintage hanging-lantern design that looks straight out of a storybook and casts a warm gold glow across your collection.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Opt for bigger hanging bulbs, discrete flickers, or even hanging sheaths.
    — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026
Definition of hanging
Verb
  • Elon Musk touted the deal as a sign of SpaceX’s strength, gliding over its eye-watering cost.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • After a brief safety lesson on navigating the course and its cables, participants can ride a zip line into the park, gliding 60 feet above the quarry floor at speeds exceeding 30 mph.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of gliding

Browse Nearby Words

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drifting
drifts
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Cite this Entry

“Drifting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drifting. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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