as in afloat
riding upon the surface of a body of liquid
the wreckage remained floating for hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in hovering
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wandering
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of floating
Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2023
This tablet also comes with a full-sized floating keyboard that resembles Apple’s iPad Air and Pro Magic Keyboard.
—Patrick Moorhead, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2023
ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
When a crew member is found dead and another goes missing, military investigators board the floating fortress, with its 2,000-strong crew and nuclear payload, to hunt for the truth before the murder becomes a global security crisis.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for floating
Adjective
The United States shot down three more floating objects in the following days, then announced that there was no sign that any of them were connected to China.
—Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2023
This tablet also comes with a full-sized floating keyboard that resembles Apple’s iPad Air and Pro Magic Keyboard.
—Patrick Moorhead, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2023
Verb
The Arctic Metagaz, however, remained floating and was pushed by winds and currents toward the Libyan coast, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature, a global conservation organization.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
When a crew member is found dead and another goes missing, military investigators board the floating fortress, with its 2,000-strong crew and nuclear payload, to hunt for the truth before the murder becomes a global security crisis.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for floating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floating
Adjective
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Abandoned by her husband, Schiaparelli takes odd jobs, some via Picabia, to keep afloat.—
Laird Borrelli-Persson,
Vogue,
28 Mar. 2026
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Production of air rifles kept the company, ZVS Holding AS, largely afloat.—
Daniel Hornak,
Bloomberg,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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With Brent crude hovering above $115 and the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, the question is whether the labor market’s low-hire, low-fire equilibrium can survive an energy shock.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
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Kid Rock came under fire by the US Army after the musician shared a clip of what appeared to be military helicopters hovering above his Nashville residence.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After six months of backpacking, Martha was feeling very Taoist, very detached, just a big naked eyeball wandering around, absorbing all the astonishing things there were to see at the frayed edges of a defunct feudal empire.—
Cassandra Neyenesch,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
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Though the original clip is authentic, showing seven dogs wandering down the side of a highway in northeastern Jilin province, Chinese state media has since debunked the narrative of their escape and journey home.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At the same time, Marine units based in Japan are sailing toward the region, with additional Marines from California potentially following in the weeks ahead.—
Chris Boccia,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Contestants — 16 young, sexy singles primed for Instagram glory — mingle and couple up aboard a luxury yacht sailing the Mediterranean Sea.—
Heather Bushman,
IndyStar,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Chicago is a beautiful city and shouldn’t have to deal with kids roaming around with nothing to do.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
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Sac State is the host school at Golden 1 Center for this event, which means more familiar faces roaming the arena, including Orr, Bill Macriss, Jason Spencer, Brian Berger, Ryan Bjork and others.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Oceanside Lifeguard Division urged the public to use caution when entering the ocean, particularly when lifeguards are not on duty, and to avoid swimming alone.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
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At those locations, sharks and people were found swimming together 97% of the time.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Brent crude futures for May delivery climbed to their near peak in the futures market Sunday evening, before drifting down to $113 on Monday.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
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Investors have grown more anxious about inflation, with Treasury yields rising and consumer surveys showing short‑term price expectations drifting upward.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Arlington Grace Prep Lions erupted for five runs in the bottom of the first inning, cruising to a 9-2 victory over New Braunfels Allegiance in a non-district high school baseball contest Friday at the campus of Colleyville Covenant Christian.—
Mike Waters,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
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The Wolverines had a 16-0 run in the second quarter to erase an 11-point deficit, their biggest, then broke a tie in the third quarter by scoring 17 consecutive points and cruising to their second Elite Eight, both in the past five seasons.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Floating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floating. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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