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
Arches of black and yellow balloons floated over tables set with meals in plastic boxes.
—
Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 11 May 2026
While past presidents and lawmakers have occasionally floated gas tax holidays, a suspension of the tax has never passed in Congress.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 11 May 2026
Like the last time this was floated with Biden, the president can’t act on this move alone, as Congress holds the power of the purse.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 11 May 2026
The idea of including the Stars has periodically been floated at the state Capitol over the past couple of years, aligned with the Democrats’ theme of bringing equity to any stadium-building conversation.
—Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Trump has previously floated annexing other territories, including Canada and Greenland.
—Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 11 May 2026
The 21-year-old top prospect floated around the bases, gave emphatic high fives to Adames and Matt Chapman, and provided the Giants with a momentary spark in what was a one-run game at the time.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 10 May 2026
Giuliani floated the idea of changing the law to run for a third term or serving an extra three months to help with a post-9/11 recovery.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
Bondholders weren't on board and floated a counter proposal.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 4 May 2026
Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 11 May 2026
While past presidents and lawmakers have occasionally floated gas tax holidays, a suspension of the tax has never passed in Congress.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 11 May 2026
Like the last time this was floated with Biden, the president can’t act on this move alone, as Congress holds the power of the purse.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 11 May 2026
The idea of including the Stars has periodically been floated at the state Capitol over the past couple of years, aligned with the Democrats’ theme of bringing equity to any stadium-building conversation.
—Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Trump has previously floated annexing other territories, including Canada and Greenland.
—Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 11 May 2026
The 21-year-old top prospect floated around the bases, gave emphatic high fives to Adames and Matt Chapman, and provided the Giants with a momentary spark in what was a one-run game at the time.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 10 May 2026
Giuliani floated the idea of changing the law to run for a third term or serving an extra three months to help with a post-9/11 recovery.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
Bondholders weren't on board and floated a counter proposal.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floated
Verb
-
Global crude prices hovered between $60 and $70 for most of 2025.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
7 May 2026
-
Overcast skies hovered over Atlanta during the midafternoon as the metro area braced for severe weather.—
Vanessa McCray,
AJC.com,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The back parking lot, once a nasty no man’s land where drunken customers wandered off to urinate, has recently been transformed into a performance space that has hosted small gigs including Duane Betts.—
Jimmy Jellinek,
SPIN,
27 Apr. 2026
-
But, as Chen and Shrivastava wandered a Texas restaurant conference, a Dallas heating and air company called Rescue Air found them.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
By then, 34 other passengers had departed the vessel, which first sailed from the South American country of Argentina in March, with stops in the Antarctic and other locations before heading to waters off Cape Verde near the coast of West Africa.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
The ship then sailed for the port of Praia in Cape Verde, but was denied permission to dock.—
Mary Whitfill Roeloffs,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
By the time Turner purchased his first bison in 1976, the species was in better shape, but populations were still far below their peak, when tens of millions once roamed the Great Plains.—
Drew Kann,
AJC.com,
7 May 2026
-
The beloved broadcaster – who turns 100 this week – has been making thrilling and informative shows about the wonders of our planet for decades, spanning everything from the reptiles that roamed the Earth 66 million years ago to the wildlife battling for survival in sub-zero polar regions.—
Irenie Forshaw,
TheWeek,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Crisp swam up to over a dozen people in the wave pool that day and placed his hands on their buttocks, according to Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Brittany Ford, who was referring to surveillance footage reviewed by law enforcement.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
7 May 2026
-
Jerry swam strongly for three or four minutes, then rolled over on his back and floated.—
Jim Hoagland,
Outdoor Life,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The staircase to the second floor had a stair lift, and into my head drifted an image of an elderly widow, slowly ascending to her bedroom after eating alone, her kitchen overflowing with porcelain and crystal reminders of dinner parties long ago.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026
-
Key creative decisions have drifted.—
George Heller,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Earlier on Sunday, Sai Sudharsan continued his fine form with 87 runs off 46 balls as Gujarat Titans strolled to an eight-wicket win over host Chennai Super Kings.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Yet, as throngs of people strolled the three-block downtown on a recent April weekend, past American flag streamers, patriotic bunting and red brick colonial buildings, there was scant visible evidence of that polarization.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Benjamin cruised past Jacksonville Bolles 12-4 in the state semifinal.—
Alex Kushel,
Sun Sentinel,
10 May 2026
-
Avy Thompson had a flawless day at the plate, going 5-for-5 with two solo home runs, a double and two singles as Duxbury cruised to a 15-3 nonleague win over Norwell.—
Tyler McManus,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Floated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floated. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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