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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Recent Examples of drifters
Meeting drifters and friendly folk along the way, Alvin is doggedly determined to make amends while facing ailments of his own.
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James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Jan. 2026
In any case, these are Beckett’s drifters, no doubt, right down to the aching feet and bad breath.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2025
Shu Qi has spent her career embodying other people’s stories — enigmatic drifters for Hou Hsiao-hsien, comic foils in international action franchises, or, more recently, the tragic heroine of Bi Gan’s Cannes award winner Resurrection.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
Most of them were migrant workers, young drifters, and then some co-renters.
—Jack Hargreaves, The Dial, 9 Sep. 2025
Entrants included everything from historic race cars to JDM drifters, time attack competition cars and off-roaders.
—Trinity Francis, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Our study, published in the journal Nature in November 2022, describes a new method to infer tropical cyclone intensity from ocean currents, which are already being measured by an army of drifters.
—Shang-Ping Xie, The Conversation, 29 Nov. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drifters
Noun
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Deutch nails every joke in this slapstick comedy that keeps the out-of-pocket zingers coming nonstop, complimented perfectly by her crew of Yellow Brick Road (Hollywood Boulevard) nomads.—
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However, the wheels are just intended for minor on-site movements, not for towing on a public road, so this isn't a good choice for would-be nomads.—
Noun
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There’s a cast of wanderers, visionaries, and itinerants, the self-educated and self-published, a long lineage of cranks and outcasts, mostly penurious, always opinionated, stretching away into the mists of pseudohistory.—
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This Victorian town of just over 2,000 is a diverse blend of artists, spiritual seekers, motorcyclists, weekend wanderers, and retirees.—
Noun
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With enticing descriptions and exquisite photography, the book is perfect for travelers to leaf through for destination inspiration.—
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Unlike many of the other luxury hotels in Tokyo, the Ritz-Carlton has a sizable Japanese clientele—both businessmen and domestic travelers enjoying some Tokyo time.—
Cite this Entry
“Drifters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drifters. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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