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
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Recent Examples of floated
Muschamp floated around to two different units during the viewing period, which mostly included individual drills for position groups.
—
David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 9 Mar. 2026
Funding-wise, Giannoulias, who has been floated as a potential 2027 Chicago mayoral contender, had more than $6 million in his campaign coffers at the end of 2025, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.
—Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Before her ceremony, Solange Knowles floated through New Orleans on a bike brimming with white roses.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 7 Mar. 2026
Doyle’s floated ball over the Chelsea defence first exposed Tosin’s crippling lack of speed, then Sanchez’s unfortunate penchant for indecision in key moments.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
But as his name has been floated, Trump has immediately voiced his rejection.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 6 Mar. 2026
Footage also captured a parachute deploying as at least one crew member floated toward the ground.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 2 Mar. 2026
Drew Angerer / Getty Images file For months, school officials have floated proposals to relocate or close at least four middle schools on the Upper West Side, citing low enrollment, funding squeezes, academic performance and compliance with a 2022 law requiring class-size reductions by 2028.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026
Freeman floated a ball into the box, and it was mishandled by the Bishop Kenny goalkeeper and landed at the feet of sophomore forward Ariana Doles, who deposited it into the goal for her seventh tally of the year and a 1-0 lead.
—Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2026
David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 9 Mar. 2026
Funding-wise, Giannoulias, who has been floated as a potential 2027 Chicago mayoral contender, had more than $6 million in his campaign coffers at the end of 2025, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.
—Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Before her ceremony, Solange Knowles floated through New Orleans on a bike brimming with white roses.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 7 Mar. 2026
Doyle’s floated ball over the Chelsea defence first exposed Tosin’s crippling lack of speed, then Sanchez’s unfortunate penchant for indecision in key moments.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
But as his name has been floated, Trump has immediately voiced his rejection.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 6 Mar. 2026
Footage also captured a parachute deploying as at least one crew member floated toward the ground.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 2 Mar. 2026
Drew Angerer / Getty Images file For months, school officials have floated proposals to relocate or close at least four middle schools on the Upper West Side, citing low enrollment, funding squeezes, academic performance and compliance with a 2022 law requiring class-size reductions by 2028.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026
Freeman floated a ball into the box, and it was mishandled by the Bishop Kenny goalkeeper and landed at the feet of sophomore forward Ariana Doles, who deposited it into the goal for her seventh tally of the year and a 1-0 lead.
—Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floated
Verb
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Prices have wavered since then, and gold’s value hovered below $5,200 an ounce on March 6.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
-
In 2025, the number of mobile connections hovered around 200 million for a population of 237 million people.—
Kamal Ahmed,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
While there, the dog wandered off, and Chris brought her back.—
Staff Author,
InStyle,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Adventurous attendees wandered to the lower level, through a medieval-esque wooden door and right into the archives—where the originals were displayed between vintage magazines and press releases documenting their history.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Wide receiver Puka Nacua and Davante Adams aren’t going anywhere, but the Tutu Atwell ship has officially sailed, and the Rams didn’t get much consistency out of their other three receivers last season.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
9 Mar. 2026
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Bogaerts tried to finish the double play, but his throw sailed into the stands, bringing Marte home and pushing the lead to 2-0 on the error.—
Noah Gulley,
Miami Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This bit of mammoth tusk is about 2 feet long and looks more like a log than part of a big curved tooth from a hairy beast that roamed the tundra before going extinct thousands of years ago.—
Rob Stein,
NPR,
4 Mar. 2026
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The genus Acanthochitona — the specific group to which feroxa belongs — developed about 92 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous, when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Cadets sophomore Pascal Zeruhn swam away with the 500-yard freestyle, winning the title by five and a half seconds.—
Pioneer Press,
Twin Cities,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Albarn swam in the Ganges, scattered his father’s ashes into its mythology.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While both candidates occupied the party’s progressive flank, Talarico presented himself as a Democrat who could speak the language of faith and values to voters who have drifted rightward in recent years.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
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Each photo op was capped off by explosive pyrotechnics yielding plumes of red and white smoke, which drifted toward the river and train tracks to the west across the backdrop of the Chicago skyline.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Plaza strolled past paparazzi in an oversized black leather jacket layered over a red minidress.—
Staff Author,
InStyle,
7 Mar. 2026
-
As for the living, two roaches strolled on top of an in-use oven and on the side of an oven door in a back prep area.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Boosted by an 11-point first quarter from sophomore guard Jordan Lee, Texas cruised to an 83-60 win over Alabama in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.—
Danny Davis,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
-
On Friday, second baseman Luis Arraez totaled a hit, a run scored and two RBIs in Venezuela’s 6-2 win over the Netherlands, while left fielder Heliot Ramos had a sacrifice fly as Puerto Rico cruised to a 5-0 win over Colombia.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Floated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floated. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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