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
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
In the coming nights, Earth's satellite will disappear from the predawn sky ahead of its new moon phase on May 16, while Mars and Saturn subtly drift away from one another among the stars of the constellation Pisces.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 12 May 2026
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 May 2026
Then, plant them in generous drifts (rather than single blooms), as pollinators are more attracted to dense patches.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for drift
Verb
Luna continues drifting through Pisces for most of the day, keeping us in our emotions, but reality could still be difficult to grasp at this time.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
In the coming nights, Earth's satellite will disappear from the predawn sky ahead of its new moon phase on May 16, while Mars and Saturn subtly drift away from one another among the stars of the constellation Pisces.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 12 May 2026
Noun
Meaning emerges through ritual, drift, and return to form a meditation on the fragility of existence.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 May 2026
Then, plant them in generous drifts (rather than single blooms), as pollinators are more attracted to dense patches.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for drift
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drift
Verb
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For cocktails and nightlife, hit TopGolf or Nola’s for live music then end the night strong with a table at HQ nightclub where resident and guest DJs keep the dance floor bumping and bottle servers keep the bubbly and energy flowing.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
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Together, all of those developments deepened class and regional inequalities, as capital flowed away from workers in the industrial hinterland toward financial centers like New York.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
Verb
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One of the many strengths of the Kieślowski film is its tight focus on just two individuals, the watcher and the watched, with a couple of secondary characters hovering around the edges.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
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With a par 70 layout, the leaders have mostly hovered around three under.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Some were like Rex, found wandering the streets and turned in to the sanctuary.—
Alina Hartounian,
NPR,
18 May 2026
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Neighbors said Dahir would frequently wander around, according to WDRB.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Cooking utensils and small mounds of clothes are kept in plastic bags or heaped on the ground.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
16 May 2026
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Kankakee Community College commit Landon Ehman finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Mason Almazan allowed one run over the final two innings to earn the victory on the mound.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Francis was able to turn the tide for a few moments, using the baseball bat to his advantage.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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Denistangneyjr | Istock | Getty Images Whether any of that is enough to help Collins resist the tide, however, remains to be seen.—
Garrett Downs,
CNBC,
15 May 2026
Noun
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That wouldn't have made sense if Rodgers weren't on the team.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
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What doesn’t make sense is why the same amenity is not available at the airport in West Palm Beach.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Mountain bikes must glide gracefully through all sorts of abusive terrain; road bikes need to mix high performance with enough comfort to let riders stay in the saddle for hours on end.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
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Celeste Ecoflyers’ aircraft design emphasizes gliding capability for safe landings even in engine failure, combining low weight with operational robustness.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
Verb
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As for the camper module exterior, Winnebago cages out the alcove face and lower front sides with thick tubular branch guards, wires in a set of floating front auxiliary lights, adds a swing-away full-size spare carrier in back, and secures on under-body aluminum storage lockers.—
C.C. Weiss
May 17,
New Atlas,
17 May 2026
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Four parachutes could be seen floating above the crash site.—
Tom Dreisbach,
NPR,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drift. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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