1
as in to flow
to move or proceed smoothly and readily
casual conversation drifting from one topic to another
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to hover
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air
the boat drifted along on the current
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to wander
to move about from place to place aimlessly
spent several years drifting from town to town, picking up odd jobs whenever he needed cash
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
2
as in tide
a prevailing or general movement or inclination
the steady drift of the population away from large cities
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in sense
the idea that is conveyed or intended to be conveyed to the mind by language, symbol, or action
you should expect a visit from the stork, if you get my drift
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of drift
Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2025
Then its core cooled, its magnetic field faltered and its atmosphere drifted away.
—Ari Koeppel, The Conversation, 22 May 2025
Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 7 May 2025
No single afternoon—no matter how joyous—can undo decades of scandal or secular drift.
—Christopher Hale, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for drift
Verb
His wife Tami, a florist and cancer survivor played by Kate Mara, is drifting away, and Craig doesn’t realize it.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2025
Then its core cooled, its magnetic field faltered and its atmosphere drifted away.
—Ari Koeppel, The Conversation, 22 May 2025
Noun
Just a few months ago, Mexican newspapers carried front-page stories warning of the country’s drift toward authoritarian rule.
—Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 7 May 2025
No single afternoon—no matter how joyous—can undo decades of scandal or secular drift.
—Christopher Hale, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for drift
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drift
Verb
-
The iconic teen drama kept emotions flowing from 1998 to 2003.—
Jen Juneau,
People.com,
24 May 2025
-
The bigger the bottleneck, the more freely the contents of the bottle flow through it.—
Richard Lederer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 May 2025
Verb
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Over the years, the percentage of transactions conducted in cash has significantly dropped, with the average estimate now hovering around 20 percent.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
-
The purchase is worth around $509 million at current market prices, with Bitcoin hovering around $108,000.—
Niamh Rowe,
Quartz,
28 May 2025
Verb
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Across the street, walking to their apartments, Marta Becerra, 50, and Margarita Mota, 60, said people from the parking structure had wandered into their apartment complex, stealing bicycles and other items from people’s porches.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2025
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Any Colorado wolves that wander into Utah, New Mexico or Arizona will be retrieved and brought back to the Centennial State, under agreements state wildlife officials inked with those neighboring states.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
28 May 2025
Noun
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The lopsided affair featured plenty of highlights from the Horned Frogs including a masterpiece on the mound by Tommy LaPour and a number of record-setting performances by TCU’s hitters.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 May 2025
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In six big-league seasons before the trade, Luzardo had shown great stuff on the mound but had struggled to stay healthy.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 May 2025
Noun
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Trump is eager to reverse the tide of Democrats routinely outraising GOP candidates and wants to maximize his own impact as president.—
Jill Colvin,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2025
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Jason Clement, the founding partner and CEO of SFC, said that while the NHL, USA Hockey and others have done a great job in turning the tide against the participation slide, rinks in the U.S. and Canada aren’t meeting the moment just yet.—
Jason Clinkscales,
Sportico.com,
22 May 2025
Noun
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June's sometime lover Nick (Max Minghella) was among the casualties, a man who could never commit to any side of the cause finally fell victim to his own sense of survivalism.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
28 May 2025
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Amazon | Steam | Official Website At this point, Elden Ring is well-known for its epic sense of scale, offering players dozens of hours of meticulous exploration, gradual character progression, and unforgiving enemy encounters that require deliberate care and strategy.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 May 2025
Verb
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The formula glides on without tugging or feathering, and hydrates with jojoba, shea, and coconut oils.—
Jailynn Taylor,
Allure,
18 May 2025
-
Though the moment is smeared in dramatic score, a dull clanging pierces through; the EMTs can’t get the gurney wheels to glide out of the doorway.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
16 May 2025
Verb
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Trump instead floated the idea of launching lower-level talks between Ukraine and Russia at the Vatican, which are scheduled for mid-June, and backed away from the possibility of imposing new sanctions on Moscow.—
Katya Soldak,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
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In April, President Donald Trump floated the idea of deporting U.S. citizens with violent criminal records to El Salvador.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drift. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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