1
as in ranging
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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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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drifting
Chris Malloy, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Apr. 2026
The music drifting in from outside filled the spaces between sobs.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
Check in once in a while, keep things from drifting too far away from your goals, and every month can be Financial Literacy Month.
—Bydoug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Apr. 2026
But after drifting through a series of colleges on his way to a degree, O’Brien mostly worked gig jobs.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026
The hard-fighting, good-tasting fish can be caught on live bait, dead bait and lures while drifting, trolling, kite-fishing, or anchored up over a wreck or reef.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
Domestic print and digital entertainment like this tends to thrust enthusiasts into a niche, like drifting or stance culture.
—Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 9 Apr. 2026
Conley noted that the car was drifting in its lane and had a license plate obscured.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Even college football is drifting toward a more fragmented, paywalled future.
—Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
The simulation is so immersive that windows, shaped like those of a plane, show drifting clouds as the room trembles with faux turbulence.
—Chris Malloy, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Apr. 2026
The music drifting in from outside filled the spaces between sobs.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
Check in once in a while, keep things from drifting too far away from your goals, and every month can be Financial Literacy Month.
—Bydoug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Apr. 2026
But after drifting through a series of colleges on his way to a degree, O’Brien mostly worked gig jobs.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026
The hard-fighting, good-tasting fish can be caught on live bait, dead bait and lures while drifting, trolling, kite-fishing, or anchored up over a wreck or reef.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
Domestic print and digital entertainment like this tends to thrust enthusiasts into a niche, like drifting or stance culture.
—Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 9 Apr. 2026
Conley noted that the car was drifting in its lane and had a license plate obscured.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Even college football is drifting toward a more fragmented, paywalled future.
—Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drifting
Adjective
-
This is surprising for something that is supposed to require less hovering, especially if the host is out of hearing range of the device's alerts.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Zino leader is a dinosaur with long, flowing white hair.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The mesh upper will keep air flowing through your feet throughout the day, and the slip-resistant rubber outsole will be particularly helpful on slick cobblestone streets.—
Anna Popp,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In that video, the influencer appears to come across what is seemingly the carcass of an alligator floating in the water and shoots it repeatedly.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The all-villa layout of Raffles Sentosa Singapore delivers solitude in the heart of one of Southeast Asia’s busiest cities—a place where floating in one’s private pool has the potential to be the most strenuous cardio routine of the day.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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These suede clog mules are an easy choice for everything, including early bakery runs, long travel days, and wandering through mountain towns.—
Paris Wilson,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The two-day search for a missing 12-year-old girl came to a surprising end when she was discovered wandering a Dollar General store, according to investigators in North Carolina.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
How Wisconsin got here Wisconsin keeps on gliding.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2026
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With more than 200 million tons of cargo gliding across their surfaces every year, Neal writes, the Great Lakes are a place of commerce.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Over the course of eight and a half hours, a Northern California nurse hopped between bars during a Friday evening while sailing on a Carnival Cruise vacation.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
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Once tankers, carrying about 20% of the world's oil supply, start sailing through the strait again, jet fuel prices will return to normal — but not immediately.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Less than four years later, Dubón will be back in center field and assured there would be no hesitation roaming the green grass Saturday against the Guardians.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
11 Apr. 2026
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Others went back to roaming the hillsides with their livestock.—
Julie Bourdin,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The North Carolina folk-rock band’s quiet and rambling third album exists in a cloud of dreamy contemplation.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Trump’s speech was at times entertaining, rambling, repetitive, and combative.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drifting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drifting. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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