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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of drifts
Sean MacAday,
Sacbee.com,
2 July 2026
Confrontation, feedback, accountability, the naming of a difficult dynamic, all of it drifts upward to the person in charge.
—
Heidi Brooks,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
Discharged from the army, Antoine drifts through a series of jobs.
—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
Upstairs, through an open window, television commentary of Spain’s win over Saudi Arabia drifts in the air.
—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
26 June 2026
As the chaos unfolds, a priest wearing his own protective gear arrives to perform what appears to be an exorcism as Perry drifts in and out of consciousness.
—
Lily Brown,
PEOPLE,
26 June 2026
Iqbal, a migrant Muslim man, drifts through a city that withholds its welcome.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 June 2026
But as Season 2 drifts closer to admiration than scrutiny, their stock heroism pales in comparison to Martian’s dynamic decision-making.
—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
22 June 2026
The nurturing Moon drifts through your 12th House of Solitude, where a quincunx from boundary-setting Saturn in your 7th House of Partnership requires rest before promises.
—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
20 June 2026
Jeff Gritchen,
Oc Register,
25 June 2026
Look for compact cultivars with burgundy or deep plum foliage that contrasts with the bright flowers, or a green variety covered in drifts of white blooms.
—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
23 June 2026
November 22 – December 21 Morning drifts, evening steadies your stride.
—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
22 June 2026
Sagittarius November 22 – December 21 Morning drifts, evening steadies your stride.
—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
22 June 2026
In the distance, a man and a woman trudge through the drifts toward the apartment courtyard.
—
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Those types of drifts rarely appear in one fell swoop.
—
Polina Beletskaya,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
As Mercury drifts into Cancer, start to outline your agenda for the coming year.
—
Usa Today,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
Curved roof eaves meanwhile prevent eddies — swirling pockets of air — from producing more localized snow drifts.
—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
25 May 2026
Verb
For fireworks, this means that visibility Friday along the coast could be impaired as the marine layer drifts in and out, but visibility will generally be much better Saturday, especially just a few miles inland.
—
Sean MacAday,
Sacbee.com,
2 July 2026
Confrontation, feedback, accountability, the naming of a difficult dynamic, all of it drifts upward to the person in charge.
—
Heidi Brooks,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
Discharged from the army, Antoine drifts through a series of jobs.
—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
Upstairs, through an open window, television commentary of Spain’s win over Saudi Arabia drifts in the air.
—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
26 June 2026
As the chaos unfolds, a priest wearing his own protective gear arrives to perform what appears to be an exorcism as Perry drifts in and out of consciousness.
—
Lily Brown,
PEOPLE,
26 June 2026
Iqbal, a migrant Muslim man, drifts through a city that withholds its welcome.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 June 2026
But as Season 2 drifts closer to admiration than scrutiny, their stock heroism pales in comparison to Martian’s dynamic decision-making.
—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
22 June 2026
The nurturing Moon drifts through your 12th House of Solitude, where a quincunx from boundary-setting Saturn in your 7th House of Partnership requires rest before promises.
—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
20 June 2026
Noun
The scent of fresh sourdough drifts from one room as the aroma of Korean soul food fill the air in another.
—
Jeff Gritchen,
Oc Register,
25 June 2026
Look for compact cultivars with burgundy or deep plum foliage that contrasts with the bright flowers, or a green variety covered in drifts of white blooms.
—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
23 June 2026
November 22 – December 21 Morning drifts, evening steadies your stride.
—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
22 June 2026
Sagittarius November 22 – December 21 Morning drifts, evening steadies your stride.
—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
22 June 2026
In the distance, a man and a woman trudge through the drifts toward the apartment courtyard.
—
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Those types of drifts rarely appear in one fell swoop.
—
Polina Beletskaya,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
As Mercury drifts into Cancer, start to outline your agenda for the coming year.
—
Usa Today,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
Curved roof eaves meanwhile prevent eddies — swirling pockets of air — from producing more localized snow drifts.
—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
25 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drifts
Verb
-
The Composer ties together all aspects of the factory (machines, conveyors, sensors, and logistics flows) into a unified simulation.
-
To balance the market next year, flows through the strait need only recover to 65% of their pre-conflict level.
Verb
-
As a result, Skywalkers hovers between a sense of constant performance and disarming immediacy — the latter generally during the many vertigo-inducing drone shots of Ivan and Angela’s hair-raising accomplishments.
-
Their water content hovers around 16%, and butter is made up of 1-4% vitamins, minerals, lactose and protein.
Verb
-
There are legends of ghost sightings and spooky happenings on the dirt road, like the woman who reportedly wanders it in the dark, crying out for her children.
-
Jim wanders the city and teams up with a tough survivalist, Selena, a lethal widower Frank and his daughter Hannah.
Noun
-
Helicopter flyovers of Big Cypress National Preserve identified remote indigenous mounds, to this day largely unexplored.
-
Archaeologists have determined the mounds served ceremonial, spiritual and burial functions, though many details of their cultural significance remain a mystery.
Noun
-
The tides might be turning on the notoriously cold customer service in Paris.
-
February 19 – March 20 Soft strength carries you across shifting tides today.
Noun
-
Needless to say, my spidey senses were tingling with excitement.
-
An event that 'touches all of our senses' Despite using some similar fireworks, Vitale predicts that this year's July 4th show will be louder.
Verb
-
Between capitals, the ship glides through Austria’s wine country, with family winery visits and Melk Abbey structuring the scenic stretches.
-
The body then glides over the top of the windshield and starts flipping through the air over the roof.
Verb
-
This time the fly lands just above the spot and floats its way down.
-
When the tank is full, the robot automatically floats to the surface and parks itself in a corner of the pool for emptying, which is a breeze thanks to a pop-out basket.
Cite this Entry
“Drifts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drifts. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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