1
as in flowed
to move or proceed smoothly and readily
casual conversation drifting from one topic to another
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hovered
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 wandered
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drifted
By Wednesday’s Game 5 of this first-round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors, the motto had drifted down toward the bottom of the giveaways, and the font size shrank.
—
Eric Koreen, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Their most familiar neighbor was the occasional manatee that drifted by their home.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
But Hollywood has moved away from positioning silly comedies for grown-ups as major events, and Segel has thus drifted back to TV—this is his first movie in four years, and his first big theatrical release since before the pandemic.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Charlie McAvoy’s simple D-to-D pass didn’t connect with Jonathan Aspirot and the puck drifted dangerously toward the blue line.
—Stephen Conroy, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2026
Smoke from the fires has drifted far beyond South Georgia, with residents in Atlanta and across the metro area reporting a strong smell of burning and hazy skies.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Smoke has drifted hundreds of miles across the Southeast, pushing air quality into unhealthy ranges for vulnerable residents from Atlanta to South Carolina.
—Emilie Megnien, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Before guests were offered a selection of pastries, sparkling water, and Champagne, Steinem held court from her red chair as guests drifted over to share their hushed gratitude.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 22 Apr. 2026
Back then, besides stardust, no solid materials at all drifted through this natal disk.
—Javier Barbuzano, Scientific American, 22 Apr. 2026
Eric Koreen, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Their most familiar neighbor was the occasional manatee that drifted by their home.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
But Hollywood has moved away from positioning silly comedies for grown-ups as major events, and Segel has thus drifted back to TV—this is his first movie in four years, and his first big theatrical release since before the pandemic.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Charlie McAvoy’s simple D-to-D pass didn’t connect with Jonathan Aspirot and the puck drifted dangerously toward the blue line.
—Stephen Conroy, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2026
Smoke from the fires has drifted far beyond South Georgia, with residents in Atlanta and across the metro area reporting a strong smell of burning and hazy skies.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Smoke has drifted hundreds of miles across the Southeast, pushing air quality into unhealthy ranges for vulnerable residents from Atlanta to South Carolina.
—Emilie Megnien, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Before guests were offered a selection of pastries, sparkling water, and Champagne, Steinem held court from her red chair as guests drifted over to share their hushed gratitude.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 22 Apr. 2026
Back then, besides stardust, no solid materials at all drifted through this natal disk.
—Javier Barbuzano, Scientific American, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drifted
Verb
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The agreement gave Poway a means of replacing water that flowed into the Lake Poway reservoir, said Poway Utilities Administrator Carlos Cortes.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Apr. 2026
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This dynamic flowed through to Peacock as well, where EBITDA losses were $432 million.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When the runners landed in Antarctica, temperatures hovered around 12 degrees Fahrenheit, with winds reaching 25 knots.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
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Brent oil futures prices have averaged around $100 in April, while the spot price for the delivery of actual cargo has hovered closer to $121 per barrel.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The back parking lot, once a nasty no man’s land where drunken customers wandered off to urinate, has recently been transformed into a performance space that has hosted small gigs including Duane Betts.—
Jimmy Jellinek,
SPIN,
27 Apr. 2026
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But, as Chen and Shrivastava wandered a Texas restaurant conference, a Dallas heating and air company called Rescue Air found them.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Chase Elliott was supposed to be the guy, but that ship sailed a long time ago.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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Both the attorney general and state treasurer Republican candidates sailed through their GOP nominations unchallenged at the convention Saturday.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In a Signal group chat earlier this year with other Silicon Valley elite, Brin floated the idea of raising hundreds of millions of dollars to influence California politics, according to a person who saw the message.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2026
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McCrory also floated the possibility of Henry starting a new program at Blue Hills to help people obtain judicial pardons.—
Andrew Brown,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Scientists have studied giant octopus relatives that roamed when dinosaurs were around, and researched some small octopuses that drilled into clams.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
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My father roamed from the Beverly Hills Hilton to Chateau Marmont, arguing the case for his best Chardonnays.—
Maddie Connors,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Kim Il-hyeok turned on a searchlight, and a South Korean Navy ship glided towards them.—
Mike Valerio,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
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And the crowd stayed to watch as six hundred young skiers—many of whom were little girls, with glitter on their cheeks—glided around the ski track in the stadium and then stood there in a phalanx, an honor guard as Diggins took a ceremonial last lap.—
Bill McKibben,
New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Although San Francisco Bay is cold, the fitness icon Jack La Lanne once swam to the island pulling a rowboat, and several children also made the swim.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
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At the event, children could make paper at an activity table and experience animals inside the museum, including Augie, a red-eared slider turtle, who swam to the surface briefly when visitors peered into the pool.—
Karie Angell Luc,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drifted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drifted. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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