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
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2026
Narrow cobblestone laneways, pastel-hued shops, and footpaths meandering past stone houses with tiny backyard vineyards—and hardly other tourists in sight—lend a sense of discovery to daily strolls on this side of the lake.
—Lisa Kadane, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2026
Detectives located him by following the meandering path of laundry, sent to him by his wife, via multiple messengers.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2026
The idea is to reduce wait times and eliminate the kind of meandering routes that often slowed trips under the old system.
—Brian Unger, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
The short answer is that nobody knows if any of it—the Trojan War and Odysseus’s subsequent meandering homeward journey—was real.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026
The royal’s meandering walk was punctuated by handshakes with Justice Stephen Breyer and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine.
—Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 29 Apr. 2026
Instead, vignettes provide a meandering exploration, connecting past and present and sketching parallels between father and son.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
There’s also a separate suite with a gym, infrared sauna, kitchen, and a deck, plus lush green lawns dotted with 40 native fruit trees, meandering pathways, a 40-foot saltwater pool with a spillover spa, and a custom yurt.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
Tucked into the waterfront of the beloved oceanside town of Bar Harbor, West Street Hotel boasts lavish guest rooms with striking views of meandering sailboats and the craggy Atlantic coast.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2026
Narrow cobblestone laneways, pastel-hued shops, and footpaths meandering past stone houses with tiny backyard vineyards—and hardly other tourists in sight—lend a sense of discovery to daily strolls on this side of the lake.
—Lisa Kadane, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2026
Detectives located him by following the meandering path of laundry, sent to him by his wife, via multiple messengers.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2026
The idea is to reduce wait times and eliminate the kind of meandering routes that often slowed trips under the old system.
—Brian Unger, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
The short answer is that nobody knows if any of it—the Trojan War and Odysseus’s subsequent meandering homeward journey—was real.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026
The royal’s meandering walk was punctuated by handshakes with Justice Stephen Breyer and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine.
—Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 29 Apr. 2026
Instead, vignettes provide a meandering exploration, connecting past and present and sketching parallels between father and son.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
There’s also a separate suite with a gym, infrared sauna, kitchen, and a deck, plus lush green lawns dotted with 40 native fruit trees, meandering pathways, a 40-foot saltwater pool with a spillover spa, and a custom yurt.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meandering
Adjective
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Despite this rambling semi-introduction, Newman’s film makes quick work of all of this, recognizing that getting to the Tova-and-Cameron show (with, of course, many guest appearances by Marcellus) is the entire point of the picture.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
7 May 2026
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Mardi is a rambling story, and reviewers were not kind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In other words, the object that reshaped the moon may have been a leftover planetary building block wandering inward from the outer rocky solar system during the chaotic era of planet formation.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
9 May 2026
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For a glimpse of wildlife, ogle the bison wandering on the Wildlife Loop.—
Jess Hoffert,
Midwest Living,
9 May 2026
Verb
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In a post on its website, the Humane Society said free-roaming rabbits that are used to living outdoors don’t often adapt well to being pets.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
11 May 2026
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Villagers had allegedly complained that packs of stray dogs were often roaming the area before the incident occurred, per the outlet.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Smoke from the Max Road Fire was drifting north and northwest Monday morning due to a light southeast breeze.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
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The moon spends the day drifting through the numinous and intuitive sign of Pisces, pulling our attention inward.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Just minutes from downtown, Andreas Canyon feels like strolling through an ancient desert oasis.—
Christina Pérez,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
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The high season was over so the scene was fairly quiet, with clusters of tourists who appeared to be from Eastern Europe, and young Albanian couples strolling the beach.—
Ada Calhoun,
Travel + Leisure,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Meandering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meandering. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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