as in to roam
to move about from place to place aimlessly
he gads about town every Saturday, flirting and gossiping with various shopkeepers and locals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in gypsy
a person who roams about without a fixed route or destination
she was a thoughtful gadabout, always picking up souvenirs for her friends from wherever her travels took her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in peripatetic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gad (about)
New York Times, 5 Aug. 2021
The giggling gadabout who dies penniless.
—Cory Oldweiler, Star Tribune, 11 Dec. 2020
The wild career of David Johansen — New York Dolls frontman, punk gadabout, occasional actor, and Buster Poindexter portrayer — will be the focus of an upcoming documentary co-directed by Martin Scorsese.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2023
For those of us who won’t be joining in the sybaritic excursion, Matches is bringing the Riviera gadabout vibes to all with capsule collections of women’s, men’s and home products curated by Sciò and Rabensteiner.
—Todd Plummer, Robb Report, 5 May 2022
But a linesman stepped in and prevented the gadabout angler from bringing in the catch.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Nov. 2021
He was inundated with offers and tried to avoid being typecast as the likable gadabout.
—BostonGlobe.com, 6 Sep. 2021
Writer, comedian, and social gadabout Lucas Murphy sits down with friends and contemporaries to solve the New York Times crossword puzzle.
—Savannah Eadens, The Courier-Journal, 20 Apr. 2020
So, a solar charging system fits perfectly with your gadabout persona.
—The Editors, Field & Stream, 10 Apr. 2020
Noun
Hardly the schedule of a social gadabout.
—New York Times, 5 Aug. 2021
The giggling gadabout who dies penniless.
—Cory Oldweiler, Star Tribune, 11 Dec. 2020
The wild career of David Johansen — New York Dolls frontman, punk gadabout, occasional actor, and Buster Poindexter portrayer — will be the focus of an upcoming documentary co-directed by Martin Scorsese.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2023
For those of us who won’t be joining in the sybaritic excursion, Matches is bringing the Riviera gadabout vibes to all with capsule collections of women’s, men’s and home products curated by Sciò and Rabensteiner.
—Todd Plummer, Robb Report, 5 May 2022
But a linesman stepped in and prevented the gadabout angler from bringing in the catch.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Nov. 2021
He was inundated with offers and tried to avoid being typecast as the likable gadabout.
—BostonGlobe.com, 6 Sep. 2021
Writer, comedian, and social gadabout Lucas Murphy sits down with friends and contemporaries to solve the New York Times crossword puzzle.
—Savannah Eadens, The Courier-Journal, 20 Apr. 2020
So, a solar charging system fits perfectly with your gadabout persona.
—The Editors, Field & Stream, 10 Apr. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gad (about)
Verb
-
The dogs were reported by passersby who alerted the KC Pet Project that dogs appeared to be dumped and roaming the area.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
18 Apr. 2025
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The other two dogs, who were able to roam the property, were found alive and taken into care.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Books Dorothy Parker’s Hollywood Years, In Focus Christopher J. Scalia Gail Crowther takes us on tours of the places that shaped Parker’s peripatetic times in Hollywood, where stars gathered in a decadent community.—
Daniel Foster,
National Review,
23 Jan. 2025
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Blending biography and criticism, Plunkett shows how the circumstances of Frost’s peripatetic life gave rise to some of his most successful poems.—
Maggie Doherty,
The New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
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On Monday night, a glittering crowd stepped out to celebrate the store’s opening, before heading over to Palazzo Serbelloni to wander through its halls and take in the homewares collection.—
Liam Hess,
Vogue,
10 Apr. 2025
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That means that future missions to Titan will have a rough time tracking down any solitary microbes that might be wandering about.—
David Szondy,
New Atlas,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The continued investment in North County is a financial one as those properties keep the southern hospitals afloat, Scripps' president and CEO Chris Van Gorder told the U-T. What's next: Scripps will now work with the city to get permits and start construction of the ambulatory facility.—
Kate Murphy,
Axios,
18 Mar. 2025
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In other examples of actions Hartford Healthcare took, the system sent nurses to other hospitals, built and bought warehouses, shut down ambulatory surgery centers to move staff around and into hospitals, with a workforce that was then more than 40,000 strong, Flaks said.—
Helen I. Bennett,
Hartford Courant,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
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New York native and nomad by choice—Emily is a marketing & PR pro, now the founder of the award-winning R Public Relations, New York.—
Emily Reynolds Bergh,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
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One of the spots drawing nomads in droves is Medellín, located in Colombia’s northwest.—
Chloe Arrojado,
AFAR Media,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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One of the reasons the forward P/E did not fall as much as trailing P/Es is that earnings estimates drifted lower, Clissold noted.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2025
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Texas officials disputed Mexico’s claim that the bodies were tangled in the buoys and said only one body was found and that the person drowned upstream and drifted downstream toward the buoys.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Walking, riding, limping, trudging, scooting, strolling — all the various forms of low-speed locomotion — define the experience of being in New York.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
18 Apr. 2025
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All to the excitement of onlookers strolling along the avenue, ending at Rockefeller Center to celebrate the day.—
Tonya Blazio-Licorish,
Footwear News,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Settlement is home to little more than a few island-style rental properties, tiny stores for provisions, and local eateries, meaning most travelers will just be passing through.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Apr. 2025
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Waynesville Many travelers enjoy browsing shops on a sunny afternoon, and Waynesville's central area is the perfect place to cure the shopping bug.—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
20 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gad (about).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gad%20%28about%29. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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