drift 1 of 2

drift

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word drift different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of drift are current, tendency, tenor, and trend. While all these words mean "movement in a particular direction," drift may apply to a tendency determined by external forces, or it may apply to an underlying or obscure trend of meaning or discourse.

the drift of the population away from large cities
got the drift of her argument

When could current be used to replace drift?

The words current and drift can be used in similar contexts, but current implies a clearly defined but not necessarily unalterable course.

an encounter that changed the current of my life

When would tendency be a good substitute for drift?

The words tendency and drift are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, tendency implies an inclination sometimes amounting to an impelling force.

a general tendency toward inflation

Where would tenor be a reasonable alternative to drift?

Although the words tenor and drift have much in common, tenor stresses a clearly perceptible direction and a continuous, undeviating course.

the tenor of the times

When can trend be used instead of drift?

The synonyms trend and drift are sometimes interchangeable, but trend applies to the general direction maintained by a winding or irregular course.

the long-term trend of the stock market is upward

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 drift
Verb
By default, its attentions drift toward the accoutrements of a semi-imaginary, quasi-boho/punk lifestyle, with everybody living in quirky cool pads and wearing quirky cool clothes. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 22 Jan. 2025 Despite the looming tariff threat, the U.S. dollar has drifted lower this week. Jeff Cox, CNBC, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
This season has unfolded in fits and starts, with flashes of familiarity overridden by a sense of drift. Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025 The blizzard that had barreled into the Sierra Nevada mountain range three days earlier had blanketed most everything, its 90-mile-per-hour gusts sweeping the snow into 25-foot drifts. Robert Klara, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for drift 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drift
Verb
  • When temperatures started heating up, ice caps began melting, causing water from the Appalachian Mountains to flow into the Apalachicola River and eventually all the way down to the coast.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2025
  • Money flowed away from tanks and submarines and went instead to hospitals and pensions.
    Josh Holder, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • But our lives in Los Angeles are largely outside: This is a city that dines outdoors all year long, where winter temperatures hover in the 60s and surfers are in the water in January.
    Katharine Gammon, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2025
  • AccuWeather predicts snow will fall in Philadelphia during the Rams-Eagles game while Buffalo's evening temperatures will hover in the high teens.
    Jim Sergent, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Only another party of two had wandered in during our meal.
    Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
  • Throughout the day, visitors can wander between stages with live music from Celtic rock bands, witness dance competitions, see border collie demonstrations and learn about Scottish heritage while exploring clans.
    Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Kershaw, who underwent knee and foot surgeries this offseason, is not yet throwing off a mound, but has progressed in his throwing program.
    Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025
  • At the Olympics, the mound was more there as an aesthetic.
    Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Later in the morning, experts will take a look at the start-up landscape and the trajectory for global interest rates, while the afternoon will see a range of public figures consider the rise of economic nationalism, the future of healthcare and whether Latin America’s economic tide is turning.
    Sam Meredith,Chloe Taylor,Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Coulibaly cannot turn the tide of Leicester’s season alone, though.
    Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • However, things are looking more settled in 2025, and producers with market nous sense opportunity.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2025
  • The Hindu family, in other words, will not be coerced into sending their children to the Lutheran school in the sense that they will be tossed into jail if their kids go to the secular school.
    Ian Millhiser, Vox, 28 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Alex Caruso, who is 6-5, added three steals off the bench, and of course,e Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, an MVP candidate, is a 6-6 point guard who glided his way to 40 points with two steals.
    Joe Vardon, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Alka-Seltzer Plus (1993) Lynch directed two commercials for Alka-Seltzer Plus cold medicine, one of which has a striking balletic opening image of hockey players gliding on a rink in a darkened arena.
    Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The Campbells have been known to just sit on a terrace with a local beer keeping a look-out for those whales while giant icebergs float past.
    Roger Sands, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Hot-air balloons float in the distance, trees sway in the breeze, and pennant flags in the transgender-pride colors wave overhead.
    Daniel Foster, National Review, 23 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near drift

Cite this Entry

“Drift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drift. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on drift

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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