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
Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Instead of drifting away, those pollutants and smells are concentrating right in your neighborhood.
—Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
The alternative – slowly drifting apart or escalating instances of ignoring – stands to create just as much ill will.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2026
How to Prune String of Hearts String of hearts tends to grow long and sparse, with most of the fullness gradually drifting away from the pot, says Rachael Kemery, founder of Rising Iris Farm.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 6 Feb. 2026
The alternative — slowly drifting apart or escalating instances of ignoring — stands to create just as much ill will.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 6 Feb. 2026
The goal is to create a sensation of drifting cars as guests spin in motion at furiously fast speeds.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2026
To convey the spirit of the moment, John Edwards inverted the photograph, turning the reflection into an illusion where the sky above the Buddha becomes a tapestry of floating flowers and drifting plants.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Roadways are hazardous due to accumulated, blowing and drifting snow and roads may be icy.
—Cheryl Vari, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Jan. 2026
Verb
Bitcoin was hanging just below $71,000 after drifting above the level during the weekend.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Instead of drifting away, those pollutants and smells are concentrating right in your neighborhood.
—Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
The alternative – slowly drifting apart or escalating instances of ignoring – stands to create just as much ill will.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2026
How to Prune String of Hearts String of hearts tends to grow long and sparse, with most of the fullness gradually drifting away from the pot, says Rachael Kemery, founder of Rising Iris Farm.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 6 Feb. 2026
The alternative — slowly drifting apart or escalating instances of ignoring — stands to create just as much ill will.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 6 Feb. 2026
The goal is to create a sensation of drifting cars as guests spin in motion at furiously fast speeds.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2026
To convey the spirit of the moment, John Edwards inverted the photograph, turning the reflection into an illusion where the sky above the Buddha becomes a tapestry of floating flowers and drifting plants.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Roadways are hazardous due to accumulated, blowing and drifting snow and roads may be icy.
—Cheryl Vari, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drifting
Verb
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Plates of brisket, pulled pork and mac and cheese moved between tables as beers kept flowing.—
Martin Silva Rey,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
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Her Sunnyside restaurant feels like a celebration of cultures, flowing with fruit-forward cocktails, as tables share stews like the red lentil misir humming with heat and warmed with cardamom and cloves.—
Andrea Strong,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Home sales hovering at around $300,000 at the beginning of 2020 climbed to about $500,000 by spring 2022, the real estate data showed.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
10 Feb. 2026
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Despite rates hovering above 6% since September 2022, life goes on.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the legislation kept that data hidden from public view, so agencies can hire wandering cops in secret – and small-town budgets create a powerful incentive to do so.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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Doctors are not a flock of free-range chickens wandering about offices and hospitals and making up best practices, one clinician at the time.—
Robert M. Califf,
STAT,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Imagine the comfort of a Ritz-Carlton suite gliding along the Mediterranean, stopping at 28 ports across 10 countries.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
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Just as your boots are your foundation for gliding, your base layer is your foundation for comfort.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Enjoy Jewish comfort food at its finest—light and fluffy matzo balls floating in a bowl of rich chicken stock and tender vegetables.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
11 Feb. 2026
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Putting a toe in the water, trying something new on for size, floating a trial balloon.—
Mark Woolsey,
AJC.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cathy might be as uninhibited as Heathcliff when roaming the outdoors, but a woman of her status can’t be allowed to marry a foundling, especially one who now works for her family as a servant.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
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Today, it’s believed that roughly 60 or more wolves are roaming the Golden State.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Routh then read from a rambling, 20-page statement.—
David Fischer,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
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Also in the village, with lower prices, the June Lake Villager Motel is a rambling property beneath a vintage mid-century sign.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Max Houser 6-Tier Hanging Closet Shelf Instantly create more hanging space with this fabric shelving unit that makes use of otherwise dead vertical space.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Dec. 2025
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Of the other methods – including electrocution, lethal gas and hanging – lethal injection had the highest botch rate of more than 7%. ‘An embrace of brutality’ Still, states have remained averse to the firing squad, a position that experts who spoke to CNN believe stems from its overt violence.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN Money,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drifting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drifting. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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