drifters

noun

plural of drifter
as in nomads
a person who roams about without a fixed route or destination the drifter just packed up and moved on to the next dead-end job

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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 drifters Babylon 5 followed the diplomats, soldiers, and drifters aboard the station, built as neutral ground between humans and a handful of alien civilizations teetering on the edge of war. — Jp Mangalindan, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Aug. 2026 According to Rouse, the album grew out of observations gathered while traveling, with its songs populated by drifters, dreamers and fleeting encounters that blur the line between fiction and autobiography. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 4 Aug. 2026 Jellyfish are also passive drifters, meaning that they are often unintentionally carried towards shore by powerful ocean currents. — New Atlas, 30 June 2026 In a new study, University of Miami Rosenstiel School researchers found that sensors usually attached to sharks to investigate their behavior can also allow scientists to track temperature changes in parts of the oceans often inaccessible to satellites and drifters pulled by currents. — Jenny Staletovich, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2026 The grocery survives thanks to passing bargemen and the drifters from the outskirts who frequent the café. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 14 May 2026 Detectives learned Lugo was the leader of a group made up of drifters and petty thieves who hung out at the Sun Gym. — Troy Roberts, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026 The men and women under his employ were a rag-tag gang of dreamers and drifters, brought together by a love for adventure, a disdain for the society that had thrown their friends away in Vietnam, and a desire to spread the gospel of ganja. — Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026 The scene inspired future comedy gags showing drifters and tramps losing their pants to dogs chasing them. — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drifters
  1. nomads
  2. wanderers
  3. travelers
Noun
  • Jason and his family are living like multiversal nomads, traveling to different worlds in search of a home, and this lets the show get into the nitty-gritty of how the box works and the rules for traveling between worlds.
    — Andrew Webster, The Verge, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Such groups may include perennial nomads (such as the Roma in Europe), Indigenous peoples in former European colonies, or smaller tribes in societies where tribal membership is socially significant.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of nomads
Noun
  • My eight women are divided into wanderers, rebels, explorers, and mentors.
    — Anne E. Fernald, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
  • For the wanderers Saint-Tropez rewards the curious as much as the party crowd—and the best way to explore is entirely on your own terms.
    — Karli Poliziani, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 July 2026
Definition of wanderers
Noun
  • To qualify, travelers must book a round-trip JetBlue Main Fare flight combined with a hotel or cruise for travel by February 10, 2027.
    — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Empty-leg flights can offer steep discounts on private jets, but travelers sacrifice flexibility and face the possibility of last-minute cancellations.
    — Elliott Harrell, Travel + Leisure, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of travelers

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drifters
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Cite this Entry

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

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