drift out of contact

Meaning

This expression means to gradually lose touch or stop communicating with someone over time, usually without any specific argument or conflict. It happens naturally as people move away, change jobs, or become busy with different lives. The tone is neutral and slightly nostalgic.

Examples

• After graduation, we slowly drifted out of contact.

  After graduation, we slowly drifted out of contact.

• It's easy to drift out of contact with old coworkers when you change jobs.

  It's easy to drift out of contact with old coworkers when you change jobs.

• I don't want us to drift out of contact just because I'm moving to Chicago.

  I don't want us to drift out of contact just because I'm moving to Chicago.

• We didn't fight; we just drifted out of contact over the years.

  We didn't fight; we just drifted out of contact over the years.

• Social media makes it harder to completely drift out of contact with childhood friends.

  Social media makes it harder to completely drift out of contact with childhood friends.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ We drifted out of contact with each other.

  ✓ We drifted out of contact.

  Saying 'with each other' is redundant when 'we' is the subject, as 'drift out of contact' already implies a mutual, gradual loss of communication.

• ✗ I drifted out from contact with my old roommate.

  ✓ I drifted out of contact with my old roommate.

  The correct idiomatic prepositional phrase is 'out of contact', not 'out from contact'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• We promised to call each other every week so we wouldn't ___.

  💡 gradually stop communicating

  Show answer

  drift out of contact

• Many high school friends eventually ___ as they go to different universities.

  💡 lose touch over time

  Show answer

  drift out of contact