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meander

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb meander contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of meander are ramble, roam, rove, traipse, and wander. While all these words mean "to go about from place to place usually without a plan or definite purpose," meander implies a winding or intricate course suggestive of aimless or listless wandering.

the river meanders for miles through rich farmland

When would ramble be a good substitute for meander?

The words ramble and meander can be used in similar contexts, but ramble stresses carelessness and indifference to one's course or objective.

the speaker rambled on without ever coming to the point

When might roam be a better fit than meander?

The meanings of roam and meander largely overlap; however, roam suggests wandering about freely and often far afield.

liked to roam through the woods

When can rove be used instead of meander?

While in some cases nearly identical to meander, rove suggests vigorous and sometimes purposeful roaming.

armed brigands roved over the countryside

When is traipse a more appropriate choice than meander?

Although the words traipse and meander have much in common, traipse implies a course that is erratic but may sometimes be purposeful.

traipsed all over town looking for the right dress

When is it sensible to use wander instead of meander?

The synonyms wander and meander are sometimes interchangeable, but wander implies an absence of or an indifference to a fixed course.

fond of wandering about the square just watching the people

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 meander
Verb
Every element of this seemingly meandering, low-stakes film is laid out perfectly in the film's first half. Brian Smolensky and James Mercadante, EW.com, 27 Jan. 2025 Brief cutaways — such as one where a mug of coffee throws in a quick quip or a sentient car seat listens to news radio programs on timely sociopolitical issues — are common as part of the film’s enjoyably meandering construction. Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 1 Feb. 2025
Noun
Hike the craggy ridges of Sete Cidades, where twin sapphire lakes glisten below kayakers, or meander on the winding paths to the crater lake of Lagoa do Fogo. Alexandra Gillespie, Outside Online, 16 Dec. 2024 As Love, Brooklyn meanders, slinking in and out of these lives, Roger’s cycling scenes gain a greater significance. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for meander
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meander
Verb
  • Thirty years earlier, in 1995, on the weekend before Quebec’s second referendum on independence, my family and I went to Montreal to wander the city, to try to sense what Quebeckers were feeling, but mostly just to be there.
    Ken Dryden, The Atlantic, 23 Feb. 2025
  • Keep an eye out for chachalaca, green jays, Altamira orioles, and the occasional rare avian visitor that wanders in from faraway.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Why isn’t there space for an organic unfurling, a messy tangle of threads that overlap and deviate?
    Rebekah Taussig, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Figuring out why tangles are so tricky could help scientists predict when people’s snap judgments about a physical situation are likely to be wrong, leading to unsafe reactions.
    Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • About 1,800 pandas live in the wild, roaming mountain ranges in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu, WWF says.
    Chris Lau, CNN, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Stray cats are all over the nation, roaming people's backyards and sometimes redistributing themselves to a new home.
    Krystal Nurse, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • This improvement to sound also makes the restrained snarl of Naked Snake’s voice have an even better bite.
    Ashley Bardhan, Rolling Stone, 6 Feb. 2025
  • In its wake, the storm, which pummeled a swath of the country from Kansas and Missouri to Virginia and New Jersey, has left tens of thousands in the U.S. without power, caused traffic snarls and forced closures of schools and businesses.
    Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • At the end of it all, Lily Tomlin strolled out and the Oscars, sadly, had just begun.
    Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2025
  • Downstairs, Adrien Brody strolled in with longtime partner Georgina Chapman, while LaKeith Stanfield arrived hand in hand with his wife.
    Jamila Stewart, Vogue, 2 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Among the many reasons the legal drama has fascinated Hollywood is the tangling web of relationships among the major players in the litigation.
    Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Breaking free from this web requires not just brute force but precise, intelligent tools.
    Prajwalkumar Bhatkar, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The soundtrack shows off Luckey’s versatility, her husky voice drifting between rock, new wave, house and adult contemporary.
    Rich Juzwiak, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
  • As for the content, the rest of the movie features Orsolya drifting from one encounter to another, meeting with friends and family to talk about what happened and try to unpack her feelings.
    Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Meanwhile, Mark is determined to solve the Gemma/Miss Casey question and rescue either or both of them (preferably both) from the labyrinth of Lumen's corridors and conference rooms.
    Tom Gliatto, People.com, 15 Jan. 2025
  • Is this a burgeoning love affair or just another con job stacked on top of a labyrinth of deceptions?
    Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Meander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meander. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.

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