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
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
Its steep, meandering streets form a patchwork quilt filled with artists, spiritual seekers, motorcyclists, weekend wanderers, and retirees, each adding their own thread to the fabric.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
For example, the undulating landscape of the Chinese Hillside Garden is threaded with meandering paths that wind through a woodland of conifer trees and beside a narrow stream with a small waterfall.
—Jeanine Barone, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The Sprague River, which drains the lands around Mount Mazuma, a key source of phosphorus, needs to be replumbed back to its old meandering ways and chock full of water plants to hold the phosphorus back.
—Debra Utacia Krol, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
Sanders took the approach of a speedy downhill runner compared to Jordan’s meandering style and also caught a short pass from Maiava and ran it in 74 yards for a touchdown and returned punts for USC in the second quarter.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 31 Aug. 2025
Villa’s most recent game was the meandering 1-0 away defeat against Brentford on Saturday.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
This is rural Richland Parish, once a floodplain tangled with meandering bayous and wild canebrake where black bears still wander and a quarter of the 20,000 residents live below the poverty line.
—Delaney Nolan, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2025
Gradually, as a meandering narrative comes to focus on the case of Hisashi (Ojiro Nakamura), a cheery young boy awaiting a heart transplant, the film’s intellectual and emotional interests come to a satisfying (and aggressively tear-jerking) head.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Aug. 2025
Verb
Even if that narrative promise turns out to be a red herring for the largely plotless, meandering installments that follow.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
Its steep, meandering streets form a patchwork quilt filled with artists, spiritual seekers, motorcyclists, weekend wanderers, and retirees, each adding their own thread to the fabric.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
For example, the undulating landscape of the Chinese Hillside Garden is threaded with meandering paths that wind through a woodland of conifer trees and beside a narrow stream with a small waterfall.
—Jeanine Barone, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The Sprague River, which drains the lands around Mount Mazuma, a key source of phosphorus, needs to be replumbed back to its old meandering ways and chock full of water plants to hold the phosphorus back.
—Debra Utacia Krol, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
Sanders took the approach of a speedy downhill runner compared to Jordan’s meandering style and also caught a short pass from Maiava and ran it in 74 yards for a touchdown and returned punts for USC in the second quarter.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 31 Aug. 2025
Villa’s most recent game was the meandering 1-0 away defeat against Brentford on Saturday.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
This is rural Richland Parish, once a floodplain tangled with meandering bayous and wild canebrake where black bears still wander and a quarter of the 20,000 residents live below the poverty line.
—Delaney Nolan, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2025
Gradually, as a meandering narrative comes to focus on the case of Hisashi (Ojiro Nakamura), a cheery young boy awaiting a heart transplant, the film’s intellectual and emotional interests come to a satisfying (and aggressively tear-jerking) head.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meandering
Adjective
-
The final part is a rather rambling segment philosophizing on proof of the afterlife—in line with dozens of similar texts from this era of psychical research.—
Alice Vernon
September 8,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The videos, which depict handwritten journals and a display of high-powered weaponry, paint a portrait of a person with a rambling and deeply nihilistic outlook, according to analyses by law enforcement and ABC News.—
Megan Forrester,
ABC News,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Caiman was found wandering as a stray and suffering from demodectic mange, a skin infection that left him hairless and pink.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
-
On the streamer’s biggest hit, Game Changer, a competition show in which the premise changes every episode, Wysocki has managed to nurture intense parasocial bonds with Dropout’s fans by showcasing his personality as a chillass wandering spirit.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
With loneliness on the rise, MindTravel’s roaming piano concerts hope to foster connection, calm, and contemplation.—
Anna Haines,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Notable scavenger hunt locations include visiting the Memorial Union pop-up in Little Madison and finding one of the Milwaukee Brewers mascots roaming throughout the market.—
Anna Kleiber,
jsonline.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Any cell drifting in the skies is blasted with UV rays and desiccated.—
Katherine Bourzac,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Even an imperfect north star is better than drifting rudderless.—
Dr. Jonathan Reichental,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The expansion will add new areas for strolling and hanging out.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Cape May is not only scenic but a perfect beach town, with a promenade for strolling or biking and a myriad of excellent restaurants serving local seafood.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Meandering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meandering. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share