1
as in hovered
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 wandered
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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of floated
Maybe that’s when my misconceptions about the Cape Cod Bay side of the Cape floated away.
—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
Both the council and Congress have floated some good ideas for streamlining disaster assistance, reducing administrative burdens and improving uneven recovery capabilities among states.
—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2026
The repairs only seem to have made things worse as the new paint started peeling in large chunks that floated to the top.
—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
22 June 2026
Many attendees shared his focus, and the President’s name floated over the gathering like an intrusive thought.
—
Naaman Zhou,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
The idea was first floated by UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy last September at the Royal Television Society’s Cambridge Convention.
—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
22 June 2026
Jones first floated the idea of rock star Lestat while the team filmed Season 2 in Prague in 2023, giving Wood time to begin imagining what a nearly 300-year-old vampire might wear while reinventing himself as a singer.
—
Precious Fondren,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
There have been multiple occasions over the past year where DeChambeau has legitimately floated the idea of focusing purely on his YouTube channel over his actual golf game.
—
Zach Dean Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
One source with knowledge of early discussions of the executive order said the idea of banning foreign nationals from working on such models had been floated for that order, but the idea never made it into a draft.
—
Hadas Gold,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
Both the council and Congress have floated some good ideas for streamlining disaster assistance, reducing administrative burdens and improving uneven recovery capabilities among states.
—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2026
The repairs only seem to have made things worse as the new paint started peeling in large chunks that floated to the top.
—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
22 June 2026
Many attendees shared his focus, and the President’s name floated over the gathering like an intrusive thought.
—
Naaman Zhou,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
The idea was first floated by UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy last September at the Royal Television Society’s Cambridge Convention.
—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
22 June 2026
Jones first floated the idea of rock star Lestat while the team filmed Season 2 in Prague in 2023, giving Wood time to begin imagining what a nearly 300-year-old vampire might wear while reinventing himself as a singer.
—
Precious Fondren,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
There have been multiple occasions over the past year where DeChambeau has legitimately floated the idea of focusing purely on his YouTube channel over his actual golf game.
—
Zach Dean Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
One source with knowledge of early discussions of the executive order said the idea of banning foreign nationals from working on such models had been floated for that order, but the idea never made it into a draft.
—
Hadas Gold,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floated
Verb
-
The lowest get-in prices hovered around $3,500 early Saturday on Friday.
-
Between 2008 and 2020, the after-tax cost of borrowing for many large companies hovered at or below inflation—making debt, in real terms, effectively free.
Verb
-
Those who wandered alone did not.
-
After the good Samaritan got him off the woman, witnesses say the man wandered to produce and began attacking a 16-year-old boy, but Garbe had followed him.
Verb
-
Banijay Iberia will bring its immersive experience ‘Luminiscence’ to Seville’s stunning Parish of San Jacinto, in its Triana district, home to famed flamenco dancers, bullfights and sailors who sailed to Spain’s New World in the Americas.
-
His throw sailed over second base and all the way to the backstop, allowing Steer to move to third.
Verb
-
With far less hair, Ella’s green eyes seemed greener, like those of the feral black cats that roamed their hamlet, meowing for table scraps, which were often given without hesitation.
-
Mesalands Dinosaur Museum in Tucumcari, New Mexico Part of Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari, New Mexico, the Dinosaur Museum and Natural Science Laboratory offers a look at the mighty creatures that once roamed the area during the Mesozoic era.
Verb
-
And none of us have swam in the ocean the same way since!
-
His father, John, swam for the Spartans.
Verb
-
The fire and resultant smoke that drifted across the city prompted Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to declare a state of emergency in the Boyle Heights neighborhood on Saturday, unlocking state resources to tackle it.
-
Piano jazz drifted among the grape vines, hedgerows, and bright-pink mandevilla.
Verb
-
To my surprise, Conway showed up, walking Clyde; Bores strolled past me in a dark suit.
-
Others strolled barefoot through the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, named after a courageous man who fought for freedom, not for presidents.
Verb
-
The Yankees’ blossoming prospect, pitching for the RailRiders and against Worcester at Triple-A, cruised for six scoreless innings in his penultimate minor league start.
-
Brazil cruised past Scotland in a dominant victory in Miami.
Cite this Entry
“Floated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floated. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
