1
as in flows
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 hovers
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 wanders
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 tides
a prevailing or general movement or inclination
the steady drift of the population away from large cities
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in senses
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
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Recent Examples of drifts
Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Kelly’s mid-30s John drifts through life, straining against his mother Jackie Onassis’s expectations while inhabiting a world that’s so clearly his own personal oyster farm.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Feb. 2026
In the teaser, Cliff lounges at a bar, drifts through a few film sets, and tears around a dirt track in a derby car.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Feb. 2026
As the subconscious Moon drifts into your subtle 12th house, your optimistic spirit benefits from tranquility.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
Head in his hands, his mind drifts to a time and place that holds so much pain.
—Andrew Callahan, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
How the room softens, how people exhale, how laughter drifts back in and the air feels lighter.
—Adrianne Wright, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2026
As evening falls, the crowd drifts downtown to the Blue Moon Saloon, a honky-tonk that resembles a back porch more than a concert venue.
—Phil Thomas, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
Without transcendence, leadership drifts into reactivity and exhaustion.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 15 Feb. 2026
And while the broader new-vehicle market drifts toward uniformity, this field of contenders distinguished itself with varying degrees of design and innovation.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 10 Feb. 2026
As the adults worked, the kids dove into the drifts, building igloos and tunnels.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
The concept, like most camouflage suits, appears to be to break up the human silhouette in open areas like snow drifts.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 31 Jan. 2026
Chicago’s 10 largest blizzards come with deep drifts of uniquely Chicago stories.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Airport workers were digging out of feet-high snow drifts and de-icing equipment after one of the most powerful winter storms in years, which led to the largest cancellation day for air travel since March 2020 on Sunday.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Instead of dazzlingly white mountains and massive drifts, there were only patches of snow.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
When traveling in high elevations where the snow could be more than a few inches deep for extended stretches, carry snowshoes, and consider getting some tall gaiters to keep any snow out of your boots, like this pair from Outdoor Research ($49), ideal for trekking through deeper drifts.
—Kaelyn Lynch, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
The film tells the story 21-year-old Junyang, who drifts through life while his father quietly struggles to hold their modest home together.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Kelly’s mid-30s John drifts through life, straining against his mother Jackie Onassis’s expectations while inhabiting a world that’s so clearly his own personal oyster farm.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Feb. 2026
In the teaser, Cliff lounges at a bar, drifts through a few film sets, and tears around a dirt track in a derby car.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Feb. 2026
As the subconscious Moon drifts into your subtle 12th house, your optimistic spirit benefits from tranquility.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
Head in his hands, his mind drifts to a time and place that holds so much pain.
—Andrew Callahan, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
How the room softens, how people exhale, how laughter drifts back in and the air feels lighter.
—Adrianne Wright, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2026
As evening falls, the crowd drifts downtown to the Blue Moon Saloon, a honky-tonk that resembles a back porch more than a concert venue.
—Phil Thomas, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
Without transcendence, leadership drifts into reactivity and exhaustion.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Noun
Officials said recent storms have dumped fresh snow onto fragile underlying layers, while strong winds have created unstable drifts, producing hazardous conditions across the Alpine arc bordering France, Switzerland and Austria.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 15 Feb. 2026
And while the broader new-vehicle market drifts toward uniformity, this field of contenders distinguished itself with varying degrees of design and innovation.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 10 Feb. 2026
As the adults worked, the kids dove into the drifts, building igloos and tunnels.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
The concept, like most camouflage suits, appears to be to break up the human silhouette in open areas like snow drifts.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 31 Jan. 2026
Chicago’s 10 largest blizzards come with deep drifts of uniquely Chicago stories.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Airport workers were digging out of feet-high snow drifts and de-icing equipment after one of the most powerful winter storms in years, which led to the largest cancellation day for air travel since March 2020 on Sunday.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Instead of dazzlingly white mountains and massive drifts, there were only patches of snow.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
When traveling in high elevations where the snow could be more than a few inches deep for extended stretches, carry snowshoes, and consider getting some tall gaiters to keep any snow out of your boots, like this pair from Outdoor Research ($49), ideal for trekking through deeper drifts.
—Kaelyn Lynch, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drifts
Verb
-
Light flows in from the garden, and quiet reigns.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Beyond me, the room flows with people going back into the United States.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Total annual volume hovers around $4 billion, industry sources estimate.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Its landmark suspension bridge, once a cattle-drive crossing on the Chisholm Trail, still hovers over the Brazos River as an echo of the city’s 19th-century frontier heritage.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Marcloid wanders patiently through these generative soundscapes like a documentarian in thrall to the process, recording snapshots of the music’s continuous ecosystem.—
Maxie Younger,
Pitchfork,
11 Feb. 2026
-
When Elizabeth wanders down below and sees the Creature, the two are mesmerized by one another.—
Jenelle Riley,
Variety,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Drop heaping tablespoon-sized mounds of coconut, about 1 1/2 inches apart, on the baking sheets.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Jim Lapic, master gardener with the Penn State Master Gardener Program, uses broken terracotta pots and places them along the sides of his garden mounds.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Trust that the tides are turning.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Like anything with that kind of longevity, tiki’s popularity rises and falls like the tides.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
With centuries of music and food traditions, Tennessee has always been a feast for the senses.—
Symiah Dorsey,
Southern Living,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The past has a grip on your five senses as Venus enters Pisces.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There’s a reason curlers sweep as the stone glides across the ice in search of the house — or, better yet, the button.—
Keith McMillan,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
As the camera glides in and around a roller-skating rink, where much of the action takes place, Decker and Shlesinger achieve and sustain a terrific balance of comic velocity and erotic languor.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Without gravity pulling downward, the brain floats in the skull and experiences various forces from the surrounding soft tissues and the skull itself.—
Rachael Seidler,
The Conversation,
11 Feb. 2026
-
This neutral running shoe has a slim, knitted tongue that floats over the top of your feet, locking them in without applying uncomfortable pressure.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drifts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drifts. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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