Synonyms : impetus, impulsion

Example : Not openly liberal but that is the trend of the book.
A broad movement of the electorate to the right.

Synonyms : movement, trend

Example : Caught the general drift of the conversation.

Synonyms : purport

Example : They dug a drift parallel with the vein.

Synonyms : gallery, heading

Example : The leaves were blowing in the wind.
The boat drifted on the lake.
The sailboat was adrift on the open sea.
The shipwrecked boat drifted away from the shore.

Synonyms : be adrift, blow, float

Example : The child strayed from the path and her parents lost sight of her.
Don't drift from the set course.

Synonyms : err, stray

Example : The gypsies roamed the woods.
Roving vagabonds.
The wandering Jew.
The cattle roam across the prairie.
The laborers drift from one town to the next.
They rolled from town to town.

Synonyms : cast, ramble, range, roam, roll, rove, stray, swan, tramp, vagabond, wander

Example : Stock prices are drifting higher.

Example : My son drifted around for years in California before going to law school.

Synonyms : freewheel

Example : The unknown young man drifted among the invited guests.

Example : Drift the boats downstream.

Example : Drift the cattle herds westwards.

Example : The stock market drifted upward.

Example : Snow drifting several feet high.
Sand drifting like snow.