drift
noun
were drifting
-
past progressiveof drift.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Clotted ribbons of trash were drifting past, from marooned vessels forced to toss rotting garbage overboard.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026
Stock futures were drifting lower on Sunday night, setting markets up for a muted open after last week’s tech stock selloff.
From Barron's ● Nov. 16, 2025
Toxic gas and steam emissions from the fissure were drifting to the northwest, according to officials.
From New York Times ● Jul. 10, 2023
"We found we lost steering control, we were drifting with the tides and the para anchor ended up going," he said.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2022
Still, I could not tell where we were drifting—or whether we were drifting at all.
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
