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
Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
Our list includes the American Civil Liberties Union, which has spent more than a century defending the Constitution, using litigation and advocacy to uphold the rule of law when state power drifts toward authoritarian abuse.
—Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
If earlier seasons were defined by glass towers, sleek bars and late-night offices, this chapter (along with much of the third season) drifts into drawing rooms, golf courses, and country estates.
—Chloe Laws, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
For the Nets, the early collapse was another reminder of how thin the margin has become as its season drifts.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
Scott drifts from room to room in his shades, thanking staff and talking through the bones of the place.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2026
To maintain width on the opposite side, the right-sided attacking midfielder, Riley McGree, drifts out to the touchline, while the two remaining attacking midfielders move inside to occupy the left and right half-spaces as narrow No 10s.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Representation thins and drifts toward the extremes, and public confidence in Congress as an accountable institution erodes along with it.
—Duncan Hosie, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
As the rig drifts past the party, Cami pulls Tommy aside to a quiet table away from the celebration.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 11 Jan. 2026
Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Mountains of snow accumulated in drifts, whipped by winds of 50 mph or more.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 26 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
At one point, snow fell in the region at a rate of 4 inches per hour, and some snow drifts measured as high as 2-5 feet.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 22 Jan. 2026
Simply couldn’t see it among the cold high drifts.
—Marianne Boruch, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
This required Korpela and colleagues to design a protocol to mathematically reconfigure frequency clips to account for any Doppler drifts.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Jan. 2026
Coastal fog — which forms when moist air condenses over the cool, ocean water and drifts toward shore — then picks up water evaporating from the ocean surface, allowing methyl mercury to hitch a ride onto land.
—Daniella Garcia Almeida, Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2026
Verb
Hari Kunzru drifts through London.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
Our list includes the American Civil Liberties Union, which has spent more than a century defending the Constitution, using litigation and advocacy to uphold the rule of law when state power drifts toward authoritarian abuse.
—Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
If earlier seasons were defined by glass towers, sleek bars and late-night offices, this chapter (along with much of the third season) drifts into drawing rooms, golf courses, and country estates.
—Chloe Laws, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
For the Nets, the early collapse was another reminder of how thin the margin has become as its season drifts.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
Scott drifts from room to room in his shades, thanking staff and talking through the bones of the place.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2026
To maintain width on the opposite side, the right-sided attacking midfielder, Riley McGree, drifts out to the touchline, while the two remaining attacking midfielders move inside to occupy the left and right half-spaces as narrow No 10s.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Representation thins and drifts toward the extremes, and public confidence in Congress as an accountable institution erodes along with it.
—Duncan Hosie, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
As the rig drifts past the party, Cami pulls Tommy aside to a quiet table away from the celebration.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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
Mountains of snow accumulated in drifts, whipped by winds of 50 mph or more.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 26 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
At one point, snow fell in the region at a rate of 4 inches per hour, and some snow drifts measured as high as 2-5 feet.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 22 Jan. 2026
Simply couldn’t see it among the cold high drifts.
—Marianne Boruch, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
This required Korpela and colleagues to design a protocol to mathematically reconfigure frequency clips to account for any Doppler drifts.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Jan. 2026
Coastal fog — which forms when moist air condenses over the cool, ocean water and drifts toward shore — then picks up water evaporating from the ocean surface, allowing methyl mercury to hitch a ride onto land.
—Daniella Garcia Almeida, Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drifts
Verb
-
Capital flows into Africa have slowed drastically after some seismic shifts.—
Alexis Akwagyiram,
semafor.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Tucked on a hillside in the Rustic Canyon neighborhood, the house floats above a natural spring that flows through the property, resting on six concrete columns sunk 30 feet into the ground.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Chicago's waste diversion rate – the amount of garbage being recycled instead of dumped in landfills – hovers around 10%.—
Tara Molina,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
And the upside to cheaper cars becomes harder to ignore as the average sticker price for a new car in America hovers around a staggering $50,000.—
Patrick George,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
When Elizabeth wanders down below and sees the Creature, the two are mesmerized by one another.—
Jenelle Riley,
Variety,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Where is that strange, clueless child who wanders from cause to cause, Greta Thunberg?—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Transfer to pastry bag fitted with star tip and pipe 8 mounds over holes on top of baba.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Meanwhile, the tiniest of the land’s inhabitants, the termite, work steadily to build up mounds of fungus and sand, the foundation of the lagoon’s precious islands.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Neurons pulse, blood flows, and hidden rhythms rise and fall like slow ocean tides.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Jan. 2026
-
As a 2015 study from Herpetological Monographs explains, the crab-eating frog inhabits environments that swing dramatically between freshwater and full seawater with tides and rainfall.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Visitors would stand in awe as their senses were overwhelmed by colorful images and animations displayed in coordinated displays over multiple, large, flat-screen TVs.—
Jan Wagner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
-
History does not record many cases in which a power-mad leader careening toward tyranny suddenly regained his senses and became more moderate.—
David Brooks,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The novel is written in close third person, but the point of view glides freely among the characters, which allows Bainbridge to manipulate the reader’s sympathies by rendering Stella and the rest of the cast from inside or outside, depending on what will make each scene work.—
Christopher Tayler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In addition to the soothing and anti-aging ingredients, the serum has a lightweight gel texture that glides onto the skin and absorbs quickly, too.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Tucked on a hillside in the Rustic Canyon neighborhood, the house floats above a natural spring that flows through the property, resting on six concrete columns sunk 30 feet into the ground.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
-
An invisible ocean floats above our heads, so why not tap into it, literally?—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drifts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drifts. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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