1
as in ranging
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in flowing
to move or proceed smoothly and readily
casual conversation drifting from one topic to another
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in floating
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 wandering
to move about from place to place aimlessly
spent several years drifting from town to town, picking up odd jobs whenever he needed cash
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drifting
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 27 Apr. 2026
Over 100 radioactive elements, tens of millions of curies, were sent drifting across the continent for 10 days.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 26 Apr. 2026
He’s made some terrific catches drifting back into left field.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 26 Apr. 2026
Stach offered an outlet, dropping deep to collect passes and also drifting across the right side of the pitch to double up with Jayden Bogle.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Now, thick smoke from that fire is drifting north reaching metro Atlanta and lowering air quality across the region.
—Nakell Williams, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
Heavy smoke from the fires was drifting more than 400 miles, to as far north as Atlanta and prompted air quality warnings for several towns.
—Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
These handsome galoots may cheat on their spouses or worse, but this allows the women to smolder in drifting chiffon.
—Libby Gelman-Waxner, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2026
Fillman and his diving instructor tapped into their survival instincts by dumping their heavy diving gear and tanks and tying themselves together with their remaining gear to prevent them from drifting apart.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
Hyper-stylized and overtly sinister, the new trailer opens on Dakota Johnson drifting through a shadowy, intimate home wearing a silk robe.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 27 Apr. 2026
Over 100 radioactive elements, tens of millions of curies, were sent drifting across the continent for 10 days.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 26 Apr. 2026
He’s made some terrific catches drifting back into left field.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 26 Apr. 2026
Stach offered an outlet, dropping deep to collect passes and also drifting across the right side of the pitch to double up with Jayden Bogle.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Now, thick smoke from that fire is drifting north reaching metro Atlanta and lowering air quality across the region.
—Nakell Williams, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
Heavy smoke from the fires was drifting more than 400 miles, to as far north as Atlanta and prompted air quality warnings for several towns.
—Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
These handsome galoots may cheat on their spouses or worse, but this allows the women to smolder in drifting chiffon.
—Libby Gelman-Waxner, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2026
Fillman and his diving instructor tapped into their survival instincts by dumping their heavy diving gear and tanks and tying themselves together with their remaining gear to prevent them from drifting apart.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drifting
Adjective
-
This is surprising for something that is supposed to require less hovering, especially if the host is out of hearing range of the device's alerts.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Drivers will discover that the design causes unavoidable backups in both directions on Broward Boulevard, plus confusing and hazardous lane changes to avoid traffic flowing from the opposite direction.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Tucker County sits high on the ridge, with no rivers flowing into it and limited water storage.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Take advantage of the good vibes floating through your workspaces.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Each villa is assigned a private butler who can fulfil any requests, such as a floating breakfast in the swimming pool.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The visual of a 450-pound llama in a pirate hat wandering past a Starbucks kiosk is, apparently, just a normal Tuesday at PDX.—
Hanna Wickes,
Sacbee.com,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The film follows Airi (Hoshi), a wandering medium who spends her life guiding restless spirits out of the world of the living.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, concludes in 1988, with Jackson gliding across a London stadium stage, performing in that white T-shirt and black jacket full of zippers, as fans weep before him.—
Steve Knopper,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2026
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The wear of this pick is also particularly lightweight, gliding on with a texture that sits at the convergence of an oil and balm.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Euphoria later resumed sailing toward the Gulf of Oman, according to Lloyd’s List.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Ships sailing the Great Lakes are also designed for expedition-style travel, with a focus on education, science, and environmental awareness.—
Elaine Rojas-Castillo,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Celebrate by roaming the stacks after dark at this festival.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Fish and wildlife officials advise people to remove bird feeders until the turkeys leave the area and install sprinklers if the wild fowl keep roaming into yards.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Mardi is a rambling story, and reviewers were not kind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The rambling, low-slung building, containing 200 rooms, including 36 suites, is easy to get lost in.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drifting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drifting. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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