1
as in roamed
to move about from place to place aimlessly
we just went outside and wandered around until it was time to go
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in fell
to commit an offense
we have all wandered from the path of righteousness at least once in our lives
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 wandered
Red-Bodied Dog Tick Has your idiotic dog wandered onto a bucolic patch of grass that hasn’t been freshly treated with toxins?
—
Jay Ruttenberg, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
Baez’s sister described her brother as a free spirit who wandered up and down the East Coast, from Florida to his home state of Massachusetts, where his two children live with their mother.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 3 June 2026
That’s when a deer suddenly wandered inside.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
Finding his groove On the long plane ride, his mind wandered.
—CBS News, 28 May 2026
For nearly three decades, the franchise wandered, and a large portion of younger fans inherited the mythology of the Canadiens without ever experiencing sustained success themselves.
—Karl Moore, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Bum-seok listens impatiently to their second-hand accounts of tiger tracks being sighted in the mountains, leading them to assume the animal must have wandered all the way down from Siberia.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
The other day, an elephant wandered onto this very field.
—Diaa Hadid, NPR, 16 May 2026
But after a wolf known as OR-7 wandered into the state in 2011, the population began to re-establish itself under state and federal protections.
—Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 15 May 2026
Jay Ruttenberg, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
Baez’s sister described her brother as a free spirit who wandered up and down the East Coast, from Florida to his home state of Massachusetts, where his two children live with their mother.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 3 June 2026
That’s when a deer suddenly wandered inside.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
Finding his groove On the long plane ride, his mind wandered.
—CBS News, 28 May 2026
For nearly three decades, the franchise wandered, and a large portion of younger fans inherited the mythology of the Canadiens without ever experiencing sustained success themselves.
—Karl Moore, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Bum-seok listens impatiently to their second-hand accounts of tiger tracks being sighted in the mountains, leading them to assume the animal must have wandered all the way down from Siberia.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
The other day, an elephant wandered onto this very field.
—Diaa Hadid, NPR, 16 May 2026
But after a wolf known as OR-7 wandered into the state in 2011, the population began to re-establish itself under state and federal protections.
—Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wandered
Verb
-
Conrad Weiser was a Pennsylvania German who had roamed the frontier for decades, learning the Indian languages and befriending Indian leaders, including some who encountered Washington in Ohio.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
The dinosaur roamed across what is now Montana and Wyoming, and across the western United States, which most likely looked like the Louisiana floodplain all those millions of years ago.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Piccotto effectively plays the regret of a mother forced to reckon with the loss of a child, the horror of engaging with that child again, while also grappling with her own role as a mother felled by the scourge of addiction.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
In a Western Conference Final where a few other key Colorado Avalanche players are already playing through injuries, the NHL’s leading goal scorer this season was felled trying to prevent someone else from scoring.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
Each time, brown leaves that had drifted from distant trees quivered and spun on the surface.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
As the fire raged, embers drifted to the south and ignited several spot fires, the city said.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Officials say this isn't the first time someone has trespassed on the property.—
Chierstin Roth,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
-
Emory claimed that day that those arrested were outsiders who trespassed on school property.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Liv announced, as Smith strolled onstage, a surprise that nobody saw coming.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
8 June 2026
-
Along First Street, fashionable young couples and wealthy empty nesters strolled by sidewalk pergolas.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
The Piano Man, who was born in the Bronx and raised on Long Island, hasn’t strayed too far from his New York roots.—
Joyce Chen,
Architectural Digest,
4 June 2026
-
Although Amazon has experimented with humanoids in select warehouses, and even has reportedly tested them to assist with parcel delivery, the apparel industry has largely strayed from the technology.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Wednesday night, the Angels teed off on Lorenzen, the Rockies’ struggling right-hander, and cruised to an 11-4 win in Anaheim.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
4 June 2026
-
Kavan cruised into the fifth, not allowing another hit until Mia Williams went deep to straightaway center field for her 27th home run of the season, a two-run blast that made it 6-3.—
Oc Register,
Oc Register,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wandered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wandered. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
