meander 1 of 2

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

Examples 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
Each holiday season, the Christmas in Coal Country experience evokes the region’s mining history on a one-hour Christmas train ride (in cozy cars heated by authentic coal stoves) that meanders through the hills, farms, and forests where miners and their families once lived. Allison Tibaldi, USA TODAY, 30 Nov. 2024 Afterward, further development is likely while the disturbance meanders over the western Caribbean Sea through the weekend. Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
Noun
Besides the immediate annoyance, perhaps your thoughts meander to the larger problem of food waste. Marianne Krasny, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024 Market meanders: The stock market was having a choppy session after Monday’s all-time high close for the S & P 500 . Jeff Marks, CNBC, 3 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for meander 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meander
Verb
  • For another onsite dining option, wander to Madeline’s high-end Timber Room for tater tots covered with caviar, Alpine fondue, wagyu strip loin and a 32-ounce bison tomahawk steak.
    Linnea Covington, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
  • That first night back, my friends and I wandered through our neighborhood to see the damage Katrina had left behind and which of our neighbors had returned.
    Edward Buckles Jr., TIME, 7 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Health insurance can involve a tangle of limitations due to provider networks, medical necessity rules and preauthorization requirements.
    Jay Feinman, The Conversation, 6 Jan. 2025
  • Struggling to keep track of a tangle of chargers while flying?
    Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 4 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Young male panthers, which roam large territories, are more likely to be killed by vehicles, according to FWC researchers.
    Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2025
  • The dogs will then be walked and fed while their owners roam free inside each institution.
    George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 13 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Monsters snarl, roar, and go bump in the night, but the racist humans Atticus encounters are just as monstrous, and the contrast works.
    Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 22 Dec. 2024
  • One approach, adopted by Lynda Benglis, Urs Fischer, and Christopher Wool, involves digitally capturing a chance form—a squeeze of clay, a snarl of wire—then enlarging that scan to monumental proportions, both dramatizing and satirizing the superpowers that artists now have at their disposal.
    Glenn Adamson, ARTnews.com, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The Southern Bridge that connects the nether end of tony Palm Beach Island to the mainland city of West Palm Beach was once a calm overpass where people strolled alongside Bentleys over the Intracoastal Waterway.
    Beth Landman, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Jan. 2025
  • Elephants on parade: Family seen strolling down a mountain road A family of elephants was spotted taking a walk down a mountain road in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand.
    Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 11 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Even those with home web access may not have unlimited data plans.
    Ryan Gillespie, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2025
  • In addition to streaming via a web browser, Mubi offers apps for mobile phones, media streaming devices (Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, and Roku), and Smart TVs.
    PCMAG, PCMAG, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The band of seaweed annually stretches across the Atlantic, peaking in summer, and drifts west, often piling up on islands in the Caribbean, or continuing into the Gulf of Mexico.
    Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2025
  • Its parts have been wearing down, its oil has been running low, its ignition timing has drifted, its catalytic converters have clogged.
    Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Mazes and labyrinths have been around for thousands of years.
    Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2024
  • Advertisement Also wading through the bureaucratic labyrinth was Dalal Al-Sumah.
    Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Meander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meander. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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