as in rambling
passing from one topic to another
a meandering interview with the presidential hopeful that covered everything from his family life to his proposed foreign policy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in wandering
to move about from place to place aimlessly
theatergoers meandering around the lobby waiting for the play to start
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of meandering
Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2026
Former safety leads at chatbot companies told us guardrails to protect against harmful conversations are most likely to falter in long, meandering conversations.
—Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
After passing Tacoma and Olympia, the route continues south through Washington’s lush, green forests, meandering rivers, and quiet towns tucked between tall trees.
—Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
However, choices were made, and the pic’s pacing remained meandering, along with extra characters who didn’t drive the plot forward (Gyllenhaal’s husband Peter Sarsgaard as the detective alongside Penélope Cruz).
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2026
The larger of those two properties consists of four buildings, an 80-slip marina and some 150 parking spaces, along with meandering pathways and landscaping.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2026
These criticisms have been echoed by his critics on the right-wing, who have decried the British government’s response to Iranian counterattacks across the Middle East as sluggish and meandering.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 4 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, a strong trough of low pressure diving out of the Pacific Northwest will dig south, eventually breaking away from the main atmospheric flow and meandering across Southern California.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 4 Mar. 2026
Fleming’s energy is no different over Zoom, moving between a meandering thought process and intense consideration of a question.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2026
Verb
These stylistic choices highlight Blake’s songwriting instincts, which on other records could be drowned out by the overbearing production or long, meandering runtimes.
—Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2026
Former safety leads at chatbot companies told us guardrails to protect against harmful conversations are most likely to falter in long, meandering conversations.
—Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
After passing Tacoma and Olympia, the route continues south through Washington’s lush, green forests, meandering rivers, and quiet towns tucked between tall trees.
—Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
However, choices were made, and the pic’s pacing remained meandering, along with extra characters who didn’t drive the plot forward (Gyllenhaal’s husband Peter Sarsgaard as the detective alongside Penélope Cruz).
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2026
The larger of those two properties consists of four buildings, an 80-slip marina and some 150 parking spaces, along with meandering pathways and landscaping.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2026
These criticisms have been echoed by his critics on the right-wing, who have decried the British government’s response to Iranian counterattacks across the Middle East as sluggish and meandering.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 4 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, a strong trough of low pressure diving out of the Pacific Northwest will dig south, eventually breaking away from the main atmospheric flow and meandering across Southern California.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 4 Mar. 2026
Fleming’s energy is no different over Zoom, moving between a meandering thought process and intense consideration of a question.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meandering
Adjective
-
The book displays a gift for confident, if rambling, storytelling, and the details pile up convincingly.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Turan lives in a co-op called Base Camp, a rambling four-story Victorian that houses 14 other tech workers who spend their days at OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google’s DeepMind.—
Joe Hagan,
Vanity Fair,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For a club that spent its early MLS years wandering through mediocrity, Pareja became the steady hand that finally made Orlando City a consistent contender.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2026
-
But instead, the young bride was wandering the streets of London in the June heat, frustrated and distraught.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As the vast landscape spread out below, filled with roaming herds and golden hues, our guest popped the question—creating a moment both magical and unforgettable.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
-
By the time glacial ice from the era receded and temperatures warmed enough for the ectotherms, Ireland had broken off from the European continent and was inaccessible to roaming reptiles.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Drivers may also experience drifting snow.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Ice accumulations may make roads slick, while lighter snow totals will still cause travel difficulties and drifting snow as winds pick up.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Spend an afternoon strolling around downtown’s Market Square and enjoying the ample greenspace at World’s Fair Park.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Take pictures against the blue-green sea or spend some time relaxing or strolling on the white sand.—
Cailey Rizzo,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Meandering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meandering. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
