drift off
phrasal verb
drifted off; drifting off; drifts off
informal
: to fall asleep
She drifted off while I was still talking.
He gradually drifted off to sleep.
Examples of drift off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For now, as Doctor Odyssey drifts off to an uncertain horizon, the rest of us will be anxiously waiting onshore.
—
Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 30 June 2025
Hours later, as Brooks was finally drifting off to sleep, she was hit by a powerful sense of dread.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 20 June 2025
The glossy evergreen foliage and rose-like blooms beautify decks when other garden plants are drifting off to sleep.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 May 2025
Refresh yourself at a Nordic-style bathhouse before drifting off to dreamland in chic cabins at Bingen’s Society Hotel.
—Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for drift off
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.
Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 30 June 2025
Hours later, as Brooks was finally drifting off to sleep, she was hit by a powerful sense of dread.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 20 June 2025
The glossy evergreen foliage and rose-like blooms beautify decks when other garden plants are drifting off to sleep.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 May 2025
Refresh yourself at a Nordic-style bathhouse before drifting off to dreamland in chic cabins at Bingen’s Society Hotel.
—Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for drift off
Cite this Entry
“Drift off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drift%20off. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share