1
as in to hover
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air
a canoe floating down the river particles of dust floating in the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to wander
to move about from place to place aimlessly
lost touch with a childhood friend who spent much of his adult life floating from place to place
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in dock
a structure used by boats and ships for taking on or landing cargo and passengers
the crew put the cargo on the float before heading back down the river
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of float
Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026
As is Takal, clearly having fun with the film’s queasy, lurching atmospherics, abetted by the sparse, shivery, atonal chimes of Jonathan Goldsmith’s score, and the floating, disembodied feel of Robert Leitzell’s camerawork.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 June 2026
Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
The other child went ashore from a shallow area, walking in, but the seven-year-old stayed on the float, which drifted into deeper water.
—Alan Gionet, CBS News, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for float
Verb
The Westbronco Crossbody Bag has the roomy feel of a tote without the chaos of everything floating around inside.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026
As is Takal, clearly having fun with the film’s queasy, lurching atmospherics, abetted by the sparse, shivery, atonal chimes of Jonathan Goldsmith’s score, and the floating, disembodied feel of Robert Leitzell’s camerawork.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 June 2026
Noun
Two incumbents with no real consumer brand, no merchant acceptance network and no balance-sheet relationship with the world’s banks control the float.
—Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
The other child went ashore from a shallow area, walking in, but the seven-year-old stayed on the float, which drifted into deeper water.
—Alan Gionet, CBS News, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for float
Recent Examples of Synonyms for float
Verb
-
In 1800, just as the first true vaccine—against smallpox—came into use, life expectancy at birth hovered around thirty years worldwide.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
With an average unit cost hovering around $800,000 for the first three broadcasts of this year’s Finals, Disney is already close to eclipsing last season’s seven-game ad haul, which EDO AdEngage estimates pegged at $288 million.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
On our lunch break, we were given time to wander Paris and observe the city through the lens of our story.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
15 June 2026
-
For something more unexpected, wander through Philadelphia's Magic Gardens or seek out the city’s iconic murals, part of one of the largest public art programs in the country.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
There are no residential docks allowed on the perimeter of Canyon Lake, but there are public boat slips for those who BYOB (bring your own boat).—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
-
Carnival Horizon docks in Curaçao on June 25, the same day the island nation plays Ivory Coast in its final group stage match.—
Jeff Kleinman,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Dozens of VLCCs are sailing from the South China Sea and across the Indian Ocean toward the United Arab Emirates ports, where at least 30 ships were already at anchor, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward on Wednesday.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
17 June 2026
-
Russia’s defense ministry said the crew fired warning shots several hundred yards in front of the yacht, which appeared to be sailing on a collision course with the vessel.—
Hira Humayun,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Their multispecies map is a…blueprint that enshrines the right to roam for the entire animal kingdom.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
Tourists in national team shirts and officials and media members with credential lanyards around their necks are roaming around Bayside Marketplace.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
The 200-acre terminal will feature two new berths and 3,000 linear feet of new wharf designed for larger next-generation container ships in natural deep water.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
16 June 2026
-
Staff picks up guests from the nearby ferry wharf in sporty Jeeps for ease of arrival—a nice homey touch (one of many here) that segues perfectly into a welcome drink in the sun that will remind you to slow down into island time.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
An Australian lifeguard helped rescue a woman who was critically injured by a white shark while swimming off a popular Sydney beach on Saturday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
-
If the sharks are swimming around, the ecosystem is probably okay.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
In the summer, Akagawa lives full time at his second home in the woods by Rikuzentakata, the drifting post visible from his windows.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
-
Essential oils release tiny molecules that drift into the nose, where olfactory receptors pick them up and pass signals along the olfactory nerve.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Float.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/float. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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