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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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
Debra Utacia Krol, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
Located on the north side of the Okura Heritage Wing, the garden was inspired by the kyokusui (meandering water) garden originally located on the 7th floor of the main building.
—Isabelle Kliger, Forbes.com, 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
In fact, sometimes the most meaningful progress comes from slow, meandering learning and quiet wins that aren't captured on a TikTok slideshow.
—Annabelle Canela, Parents, 6 Aug. 2025
These 12 scenic drives are all well under 200 miles, meaning travelers can enjoy the full spectrum—from a summit drive that takes a mere 20 minutes to a meandering day trip.
—Katherine Lagrave, AFAR Media, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
Located on the north side of the Okura Heritage Wing, the garden was inspired by the kyokusui (meandering water) garden originally located on the 7th floor of the main building.
—Isabelle Kliger, Forbes.com, 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
In fact, sometimes the most meaningful progress comes from slow, meandering learning and quiet wins that aren't captured on a TikTok slideshow.
—Annabelle Canela, Parents, 6 Aug. 2025
These 12 scenic drives are all well under 200 miles, meaning travelers can enjoy the full spectrum—from a summit drive that takes a mere 20 minutes to a meandering day trip.
—Katherine Lagrave, AFAR Media, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meandering
Adjective
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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
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There’s nothing worse than a long, rambling story that’s resolved in an only-mildly humorous ending.—
Jay Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The three of them, dressed in flip-flops and T-shirts, were wandering the streets downtown when a woman in a minivan pulled over to offer them a ride.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
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The strangers spend the day wandering down the movie's eponymous street while a vibrant chemistry blossoms between them.—
Hannah Kerns,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The herd roaming the Gila Wilderness, however, is expected to be hunted in 1970 and 1971.—
Tim Kelly,
Outdoor Life,
4 Sep. 2025
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Katie Wiseman Many Hoosiers were surprised last month to learn that armadillos can be spotted roaming around southern Indiana.—
Katie Wiseman,
IndyStar,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The org chart becomes clearer as the season progresses, but that also involves both Ken and Esmeralda’s subplots drifting away from the main action.—
Jesse Hassenger,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
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If yields are simply drifting higher, then buyers do tend to step in, said Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Arboretum is most impressive and can be accessed by strolling to the back of the Gardens and exiting a gate, before entering this tree-laden landscape.—
Jeanine Barone,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Shop along Bahnhofstrasse, strolling down Zermatt’s car-free streets and breathing in its pollution-free air.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Meandering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meandering. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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