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 But a string of rent increases — not to mention noise from roving bachelorette parties and a club across the street — began to take its toll. Anna Fixsen, New York Times, 31 July 2025 Anyone who has caught Vuitton’s roving exhibitions dedicated to travel, Volez, Voyagez, Voguez, knows the extent of the maison’s dedication to the art of travel. Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 30 July 2025 The page posted several videos of the fight which show people roving the streets violently pushing and shoving individuals to the ground. Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025 The narrative roves freely back and forth, the structure growing increasingly circular as the story loops and then loops around itself again. Katie Kitamura, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for rove
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rove
Verb
  • Some of the most notable included the iconic bell tower, the central fountain, the roaming pack of feral cats, and the massive gingko trees that loomed over a section of the academic quad and carpeted the sidewalks with golden leaves each fall.
    Katherine Polcari, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2025
  • In its world, resurrected mammoths roam, AI governs underground facilities, and human-animal hybrids embody both triumph and ambiguity.
    Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Her task now is simply to wander, wait and listen.
    Ari Daniel, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Despite its common name, this creature wasn’t simply a lion that wandered into the Americas.
    Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • After an earnings beat and a blistering 32% pop on July 30, the stock drifted lower for a month — a normal profit-taking after a vertical move.
    Nishant Pant, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025
  • This means that if Solar Cycle 25 were stronger or weaker than predicted, the peak month of solar maximum would drift from this August-September 2025 prediction.
    Ryan French, Space.com, 9 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rove.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rove. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on rove

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