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
1
as in ranging
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in flowing
to move or proceed smoothly and readily
casual conversation drifting from one topic to another
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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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
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
-
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
-
All the Gemstones’ senses of grandeur are stunning and don’t quite match up to what’s happening.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
4 May 2025
-
Traveling the world to exotic destinations can be filled with excitement along with a sense of wonder and discovery.—
Roger Sands,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
Noun
-
Investment bank JPMorgan expects a 75% to 80% drop in imports from there.—
Juliana Liu,
CNN Money,
10 May 2025
-
These can help banks confirm a customer received an update.—
Gegham Azatyan,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
Recent climate modeling results suggest that changes in annual precipitation in Florida will likely be modest, within about 10% of current average, with a tendency for wetter conditions in the northern part of the state and lesser precipitation in the south.—
Bob Maliva,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2025
-
Plus, no matter who's involved, humans have a natural tendency to pay close attention to danger and threats, especially if those threats have lurked without detection for so long.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
Noun
-
This episode raises fundamental questions beyond Harvard concerning the Constitution and the meaning of education.—
Larry P. Arnn,
National Review,
3 May 2025
-
Most of the major relationship milestones and potholes happen offscreen between the seasonal vacays, leaving us to find entertainment and meaning in the puny aftershocks.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
2 May 2025
Adjective
-
The film is narrated in the languages of the cultures the characters move through, as Burmese gives way to Thai, to Vietnamese, and beyond — a wandering, collective dream.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
28 Mar. 2025
-
The wandering pack needs more females for their new society and there are two females and two males inside the small cage.—
Chip Bell,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
In addition, objects from the Kuiper Belt orbit in the opposite direction from everything else in the solar system, according to NASA.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
2 May 2025
-
Despite some conflicts over the direction the church should take, most experts don't expect the conclave to stretch beyond a few days.—
John Bacon,
USA Today,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drift. Accessed 14 May. 2025.
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