DRIFTED Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

drifted

verb

past tense of drift

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

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

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

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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 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

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

The autonomous food delivery droid robots hovered on top of the food truck counter as if the surface were a stage.

— Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 24 Aug. 2026
But things went sideways when the drone hovered above Austen’s pool and dropped the package into the water.

— Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of hovered

Verb

The Denver encounter also came just days after a mother bear and cub wandered into the city's Harvey Park neighborhood.

— Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Sant Ambroeus Aspen A bear recently wandered into a restaurant in Aspen, while another was spotted on Colorado State University's campus during move-in week.

— Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of wandered

Verb

David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Nvidia had already reported results that sailed past estimates by the time CFO Colette Kress came into the earnings call with a stunning forecast for next year.

— Kif Leswing, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Milton, though, was flushed from the pocket, and a late throw to Brown sailed out of bounds.

— Daniel Popper, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of sailed

Verb

Restrictions on energy, electricity or critical minerals, something Ford also floated, could instead raise costs for American companies and consumers by making key inputs more expensive or harder to obtain.

— Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
Trump floated renaming Lake Ontario, one of the Great Lakes, amid growing trade tensions with Canada.

— Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 25 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 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
Those who took part swam 1,500 meters in Lake Michigan, bicycled nearly 25 miles, and then ran a 10k.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of swam

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“Drifted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drifted. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of drifted

verb

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