drifted

verb

past tense of drift
1
as in flowed
to move or proceed smoothly and readily casual conversation drifting from one topic to another

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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

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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of drifted As my mind drifted, the sound of a breeze, created by handheld fans, filled the room. — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 Authorities said the driver drifted onto the right shoulder and attempted to return to the road. — Brandon Downs, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 No single event led to the breakup, two of the sources add, but rather the parties slowly drifted apart. — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026 The two met in 1980 through the magazine world and drifted apart when Threinen left to pursue an MBA at New York University’s Stern School of Business and a career in commercial real estate development with his father in Las Vegas. — Barbara Bry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026 His speech drifted from the state race to White House construction and the Iran war. — Emily R. Condon, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026 Washington instead drifted to his right as Mendoza threw, allowing Woodaz to undercut and intercept. — Sam Warren, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 But now, Wright says Wendy’s has drifted from some of those qualities, telling investors that decisions made in the interest of cost and efficiency had degraded some of the food quality that set the chain apart. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2026 These strategic collaborations not only bring thoughtful products to the marketplace, but may also bring adults who drifted away from the brand back to Disney Princess thanks to a sense of nostalgia for a favorite movie or character. — Megan Dubois, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drifted
  1. flowed
  2. hovered
  3. wandered
  4. sailed
  5. floated
  6. roamed
  7. glided
  8. swam
Verb
  • The world went in, and pliant, playful interpretations flowed out.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The result was a slurry of melting ice, rock and water that quickly flowed into the river.
    — Umesh Haritashya, The Conversation, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of flowed
Verb
  • Only the Lake Ontario name appeared on Apple’s platform as of Monday afternoon, although the label hovered above Canada’s water border.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 31 Aug. 2026
  • In 2026, the proportion hovered around 20% from January through July.
    — Mario Ariza, ProPublica, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of hovered
Verb
  • Bears have wandered into people's homes across the United States in record numbers after a dry winter wiped out plants, grasses, berries and nuts that form around 90% of their diet, Reuters reported.
    — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Emde wandered ahead while King lagged behind at her usual tempo, which is uncommonly slow but projects incongruous urgency.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of wandered
Verb
  • The Milestone Recognition Program also bestows benefits based on how many days passengers have sailed with the line.
    — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • And then Timmy and Oli sailed east across the Pacific to America, a three-month voyage.
    — George Boedecker Jr, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of sailed
Verb
  • Outside the emergency room entrance, Katie Winschief floated above her body as paramedics put her in a wheelchair and rushed her toward the hospital doors.
    — Michael Collins, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The idea is to develop the technology for movable plants that can be floated off the coast and used to power the port and eventually cities.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of floated
Verb
  • The singer roamed the space, which created an eternity out of glass, and captured the experience on camera.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Declan Rice and Saka played just over an hour each, Riccardo Calafiori roamed to his heart’s content, Tzolis was eager to make an impact.
    — Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of roamed
Verb
  • The way Brooks stomped, or glided, or moseyed into the end zone will be forgotten.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The countryside glided by, and Abdeen took in the moving sky and the fields.
    — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of glided
Verb
  • All but one happened between June and mid-September as people sat under a tree in a park, swam at the beach and rode bikes through a neighborhood.
    — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The Piper remained largely intact as Tenkley, wearing a bikini, swam away from the aircraft with the help of a lifeguard who arrived in moments to assist.
    — Eric Mack, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of swam

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Cite this Entry

“Drifted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drifted. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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