drift off

phrasal verb

drifted off; drifting off; drifts off
informal
: to fall asleep
She drifted off while I was still talking.
He gradually drifted off to sleep.

Examples of drift off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Deliberate mind wandering, where people give themselves the freedom to drift off-subject, allowing their thoughts to take a different course. Liz Regalia, Parents, 28 Oct. 2025 Šobat wasn’t supposed to relax enough to actually drift off, though. Sean Williams, Outside, 27 Oct. 2025 Ohio State Highway Patrol says a westbound pickup truck drifted off the road to the right, hitting two telephone poles before ending up in someone’s yard. Fox19 Staff, Cincinnati Enquirer, 24 Oct. 2025 Some people have trouble producing enough melatonin to drift off in the first place. Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for drift off

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“Drift off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drift%20off. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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