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 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
1
as in ranging
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drifting
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2025
Potential concerns included security and nearby farm pesticides drifting into the outdoor growing areas.
—Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
But radical shifts in the media landscape and Vanity Fair’s slow editorial drift away from gauzy Hollywood nostalgia to chase social traffic have allowed other titles at Condé Nast like Vogue, The New Yorker, GQ, and even Wired to overshadow it.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
But the recognition of a Palestinian state is seen by some Israeli politicians as rewarding Hamas, leading them to view the E1 proposals as a deliberate broadside against longtime allies whose statements are increasingly drifting away from their country.
—Matt Bradley, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drifting
Noun
Why a piece of a turbine blade ended up drifting in the sea is still unknown.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2025
Potential concerns included security and nearby farm pesticides drifting into the outdoor growing areas.
—Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
The drifts of powder, scattered by her haste, gather in the runnels of the tabletop.
—Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
But radical shifts in the media landscape and Vanity Fair’s slow editorial drift away from gauzy Hollywood nostalgia to chase social traffic have allowed other titles at Condé Nast like Vogue, The New Yorker, GQ, and even Wired to overshadow it.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Some loyal fans feared the 56-year-old chain was drifting too far from its bucolic roots, and the company’s shares (CBRL) nosedived more than 12% days after the announcement.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
But the recognition of a Palestinian state is seen by some Israeli politicians as rewarding Hamas, leading them to view the E1 proposals as a deliberate broadside against longtime allies whose statements are increasingly drifting away from their country.
—Matt Bradley, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drifting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drifting
Noun
-
According to manager John Schneider, the mound meeting with Hoffman was just another way in which Guerrero is adjusting to being not only the face, but one of the emotional leaders of the Blue Jays.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
-
Baseball teams rely on consistent productivity both on the pitching mound and in the batter’s box during the course of a season, much like business units depend on meeting sales quotas and company objectives throughout the fiscal year.—
Mark LaSota,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
There is a world in which the actress once known as America’s sweetheart can turn the tide her way, with voters nominating her for Best Actress as a vote of confidence toward her purposefully polarizing character.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
29 Aug. 2025
-
That series, which is being repped internationally by Beta Film, tells the story of the real-life Hungarian army commander Janos Hunyadi, who turned back the tide of the Ottoman Empire’s seemingly unstoppable advance into Europe at the Battle of Belgrade in 1456.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
This has for decades been underpinned by voluntary pricing agreements — voluntary in the sense that non-voluntary terms would have been worse — between the industry and the NHS.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
3 Sep. 2025
-
There is no sense of responsibility or critical assessment of the causes of the refusal to publish in Israel while the massacre continues.—
Uriel Kon
September 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Many equity strategists at investment banks say that a rate cut by the Federal Reserve in September is likely to boost sticks and reverse the historical trend.—
Ganesh Rao,
CNBC,
2 Sep. 2025
-
When the weather is nice, fans can take in a concert at outdoor spaces like The Lawn (also at the Surf Hotel) and The Beach, located 6 miles south of town on the banks of the Arkansas River.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
From genetic junk to evolutionary driver Despite their chaotic tendencies, LINE-1 elements have made significant contributions to reshaping the human genome.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Aug. 2025
-
The Industry Still Lags Behind The Problem There’s a tendency across the digital ad ecosystem to interpret fatigue as a creative failure, a cue to refresh imagery or test new messaging.—
Sergii Denysenko,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
And eventually, the term seemed to lose any meaning.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
29 Aug. 2025
-
But Trump’s definition of transshipment in his latest tariff announcement has appeared to take on a much broader meaning – with China as the unmistakable target.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
His experience in law enforcement, combined with his desire to improve search and rescue methods, led him to establish a program that addresses the specific challenges of locating wandering individuals and streamlines local agencies' efforts.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
23 Aug. 2025
-
For now, though, there are the wandering Marlins, the middling Heat and Dolphins, and the elite Panthers.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Dashcam footage shows a car driving in the wrong direction on a highway in Spanish Fork, Utah, nearly striking other vehicles in its path.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
27 Aug. 2025
-
Both situations are moving very quickly, in directions no one could’ve predicted.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drifting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drifting. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.
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