float 1 of 2

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

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2

float

2 of 2

noun

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

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Example 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 float
Verb
Billi shrugged, smiling, floating away. Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025 Walter Matthau was actually tested for the role of Captain von Trapp, with other names like Yul Brynner and Bing Crosby also floated for the part before Christopher Plummer, who famously hated the movie, was cast. Debby Rice, Mercury News, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
The adult float Monday is for members only. Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025 Each float, or paso as they’re called, can weigh up to one ton, and is carried by an association of dedicated bearers, called costaleros. Nina Aquino, Travel + Leisure, 21 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for float
Recent Examples of Synonyms for float
Verb
  • As for most of the tournament, Sinner’s first-serve percentage hovered around 50, and Auger-Aliassime took the initiative with flashing forehands and the bravery to go after his shots in baseline rallies.
    Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
  • In addition to the newfound in-state rivalry, a sense of nostalgia hovered over pregame activities.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Some of the most notable included the iconic bell tower, the central fountain, the roaming pack of feral cats, and the massive gingko trees that loomed over a section of the academic quad and carpeted the sidewalks with golden leaves each fall.
    Katherine Polcari, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2025
  • In its world, resurrected mammoths roam, AI governs underground facilities, and human-animal hybrids embody both triumph and ambiguity.
    Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The property includes an indoor shooting range, pool house, guest house and a 4,000 square foot dock.
    Dana Hunsinger Benbow, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
  • When the barrels reached their loading dock, instead of rich complexity, the whiskey tasted of grass and hay.
    Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Several outfitters, including LeBarge Tropical Cruises, sail most days of the week.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Disney Cruise Line Disney sails Halloween on the High Seas voyages in September and October, where passengers will find special decor – including a magical Halloween tree – themed desserts and drinks and other festive activities.
    Nathan Diller, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • While there’s not a lot to see and do, every bit of it is worth experiencing, so pick a pretty day and wander over to Waverly for a few hours of chatting with friendly folks, digging into good food, and scouring shelves for cool finds.
    Jennifer Stewart Kornegay, Southern Living, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Whether sailing across Lake Zurich or wandering the Kunsthaus, the city reveals itself seductively.
    Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The port planned to use it to clean up and remediate polluted areas, build facilities for handling the turbine parts, dredge the waterway and build a larger wharf capable of handling pieces of steel longer than a football field.
    Lauren Sommer, NPR, 31 Aug. 2025
  • The infrastructure humans build in the water ‒ houses, piers, wharves, jetties, and even oil rigs ‒ create new habitats for juvenile jellyfish, called polyps, to attach and grow, Bologna said.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • To cheer them, Tamsin drives first to a place for swimming above the village of Scarbrough.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
  • The boat gently bobbed above where the divers soon would be swimming.
    Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The former Chelsea and Aston Villa winger offers Sunderland something slightly different in terms of being a left-footed player who drifts in from the right.
    Tim Spiers, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Even minor sparks or drifting embers can incite nearby foliage or grass, setting off a rapidly spreading fire.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Float.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/float. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

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