rove

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb rove contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of rove are meander, ramble, roam, traipse, and wander. While all these words mean "to go about from place to place usually without a plan or definite purpose," rove suggests vigorous and sometimes purposeful roaming.

armed brigands roved over the countryside

When is meander a more appropriate choice than rove?

The words meander and rove are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, meander implies a winding or intricate course suggestive of aimless or listless wandering.

the river meanders for miles through rich farmland

Where would ramble be a reasonable alternative to rove?

Although the words ramble and rove have much in common, ramble stresses carelessness and indifference to one's course or objective.

the speaker rambled on without ever coming to the point

When would roam be a good substitute for rove?

The words roam and rove can be used in similar contexts, but roam suggests wandering about freely and often far afield.

liked to roam through the woods

When might traipse be a better fit than rove?

The meanings of traipse and rove largely overlap; however, traipse implies a course that is erratic but may sometimes be purposeful.

traipsed all over town looking for the right dress

In what contexts can wander take the place of rove?

While in some cases nearly identical to rove, wander implies an absence of or an indifference to a fixed course.

fond of wandering about the square just watching the people

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 rove The project started with a three-week boot camp, and the shoot involved a lot of long, roving wide shots that basically unfold in real time. Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025 Director Ico Costa, who has made other documentaries in Mozambique, has a roving camera that manages to tell a place’s story through its people while never identifying anyone by name or following them in the traditional cinéma vérité style. Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 27 Mar. 2025 In the deep quiet, there was nothing to stop my thoughts from racing at top speed, looping, roving, circling, meandering, searching, careening between past regrets and future hopes, pinballing between wanting and not wanting things but mostly hating everything, including myself. Kate Siber, Outside Online, 11 Mar. 2025 Dale Torborg was a roving White Sox strength and conditioning coordinator from 2004-22. Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rove
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rove
Verb
  • Their cattle then roam the yerba mate plantation, clear the weeds–which both feeds the cattle and eliminates the need for pesticides–and its manure helps enrich the soil.
    Andrew Watman, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
  • Residents complain of thieves roaming the streets after dusk.
    Sophie Neiman, Christian Science Monitor, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • After a 3-month long girls trip along Florida’s Gulf Coast, a wayward pair of endangered North Atlantic right whales known as Curlew and Koala have finally wandered back to the Atlantic Ocean.
    Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Alberta is skeptical… until Hetty points out how Pete has been wandering and dating up a storm, was secretly in the mafia and punched Thor in the face after the Viking slept with Carol.
    Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Williams had apparently drifted across an invisible whites-only line that the man who killed him was enforcing.
    Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 2 May 2025
  • Smoke from Canadian wildfires drifted as far as the Midwest and Northeast in 2023, pushing air quality into unhealthy ranges.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rove.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rove. Accessed 6 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on rove

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