meandered

verb

past tense of meander
as in wandered
to move about from place to place aimlessly theatergoers meandering around the lobby waiting for the play to start

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 meandered But Raman’s answers never meandered and weren’t too elliptical, even when she was pressed by the able moderators. — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 While recent litigation has held social media companies responsible for harms to users, federal legislation of social media has meandered and AI legislation has lagged. — ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026 Few people meandered in and out of the shops lining the square around the courthouse in Platte City as a passerby stopped at the top of the courthouse steps, tried the locked doors and peeked inside before walking away. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026 Rolling hills gave way to craggy cliffs, while the road meandered almost alarmingly close to the choppy sea. — Lucy Bruton, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 2026 Xander Bogaerts’ two-run homer in the fourth inning set both starting pitchers on a different course, one that meandered from there toward a 7-5 victory over the Guardians. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026 Little creeks meandered from lake to lake and through patches of lush grassy meadows and swamps, while the trail followed the higher ground covered with spruce. — Anton Money, Outdoor Life, 4 June 2026 Following the attack, the wolf fled and meandered through the city until late that night, when it was located near Lake Binnenalster. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026 As the afternoon sun beat down, several passers-by from out of town meandered by Guthrie's one-story brick house in the Catalina Foothills. — Helen Rummel, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meandered
  1. wandered
  2. roamed
  3. strolled
  4. drifted
Verb
  • Five burros were killed and a driver was injured when a herd wandered onto the 215 Freeway in 2020.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
  • At one point, McLoughlin even snubbed Sylvester Stallone, another Kennedy Center Honoree who had wandered into the bar.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of wandered
Verb
  • Anti-drone netting is draped over streets where children once roamed freely.
    — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Officials hope to repopulate vulnerable species Giant pandas once roamed vast swaths of China, northern Myanmar and Vietnam, but their habitats shrank due to human encroachment and climate change.
    — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of roamed
Verb
  • Then, one cool afternoon toward the end of October, two bucks strolled out into the corn 200 yards down the fence.
    — Al Dawson, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Beachgoers strolled with coffee in hand, went for morning runs and walked their dogs.
    — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of strolled
Verb
  • In a statement to CBS Colorado, the FAA said that a safety risk assessment identified incidents in which aircraft drifted toward other planes departing at the same time on parallel runways.
    — Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The smoke has drifted as far as the Philippines, more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) away.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of drifted

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meandered
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Cite this Entry

“Meandered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meandered. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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