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
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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
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Recent Examples of meandering
David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Season one may only be six episodes, but it’s padded out with meandering subplots, vague teases for a second-season mystery, and one overly long and slow-motion-dependent scene at a nightclub.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2025
Tropical Storm Melissa is meandering through the warm waters of the Caribbean at a snail’s pace, where it’s expected to pick up enough power to develop into a major Category 4 by Tuesday.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
But even as the winds within Melissa are forecast to become powerful gusts, the atmosphere around the storm is calm, leaving the would-be hurricane meandering through the Caribbean.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 23 Oct. 2025
Additional research by other scientists provides further evidence of recent slowdowns in the forward movement of tropical cyclones, while some modeling studies project that future climate change is likely to result in more meandering storms.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva, however, previously told that because the steering flow is light this week, the storm has a greater chance of meandering outside its forecast path.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
The beachfront boardwalk—admittedly not the calmest of environments—is where the action’s at, with local artists, drum circles, and street performers meandering the oceanside lawns each and every day.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2025
Nineteen miles west of town, Drew’s client Mike and his wife, Carol, summered in a neighborhood of attractive homes along the meandering Bluebird Creek, formerly Bog Creek.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
The saloon bar’s eye-popping, maple, epoxy countertop was custom-made in Oklahoma and features a meandering blue river inlaid with real gold nuggets and rocks to represent the iconic American River.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Season one may only be six episodes, but it’s padded out with meandering subplots, vague teases for a second-season mystery, and one overly long and slow-motion-dependent scene at a nightclub.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2025
Tropical Storm Melissa is meandering through the warm waters of the Caribbean at a snail’s pace, where it’s expected to pick up enough power to develop into a major Category 4 by Tuesday.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
But even as the winds within Melissa are forecast to become powerful gusts, the atmosphere around the storm is calm, leaving the would-be hurricane meandering through the Caribbean.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 23 Oct. 2025
Additional research by other scientists provides further evidence of recent slowdowns in the forward movement of tropical cyclones, while some modeling studies project that future climate change is likely to result in more meandering storms.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva, however, previously told that because the steering flow is light this week, the storm has a greater chance of meandering outside its forecast path.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
The beachfront boardwalk—admittedly not the calmest of environments—is where the action’s at, with local artists, drum circles, and street performers meandering the oceanside lawns each and every day.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2025
Nineteen miles west of town, Drew’s client Mike and his wife, Carol, summered in a neighborhood of attractive homes along the meandering Bluebird Creek, formerly Bog Creek.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meandering
Adjective
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In the past several years, Edge had filed a string of civil lawsuits with rambling, sometimes conspiratorial claims.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 2025
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Kiehne was frustrated with the Joneses because the county government wouldn’t grade the dirt road up to his ranch, a rambling territory along the New Mexico border.—
Mitch Moxley,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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With the strap down, these clogs hold the heel securely and are great for wandering around the streets of a foreign city, walking the dogs, or even a little hike.—
Jakob Schiller,
Outside,
18 Oct. 2025
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What looked like a shadow at first turned out to be the dog, skittish and exhausted from wandering.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While some dogs were found roaming around the house, others were in cages.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
22 Oct. 2025
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From the Mercury and Gemini missions to the drama of Apollo 13, the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, and the robotic explorers roaming Mars, NASA's history is packed with daring feats and scientific firsts.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Outside, the aroma of turmeric, cardamom, and garam masala mingles with the sweet haze of incense drifting down the street and masking the underworld accused of hiding just around the corner.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
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No leaves on the trees, few birds in the sky; the spacious vistas interdicted in all directions by armed men in black uniforms—police at the perimeter barricades, police on motorcycles, police drifting overhead in helicopters.—
Henry Freedland,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Visitors have reported seeing soldiers strolling across the fields, a general on the back porch and the sounds of a cook who worked for the family during the war.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
21 Oct. 2025
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With its historic charm, artistic flare and coastal beauty, visitors love strolling its timeless streets and taking in the Pacific waterfront ambience.—
Noreen Kompanik,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Meandering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meandering. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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