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
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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
Several names have been floated as possible replacements for Kelly in Baton Rouge.
—
Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025
Baumgartner floated a similar measure in April as part of his Restore College Sports Act.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Moments later, a bubble floated from his now-open mouth and brushed his eye, jogging him awake.
—Sean Williams, Outside, 27 Oct. 2025
Before former President Joe Biden ended his 2024 campaign and endorsed then-Vice President Kamala Harris, Newsom's name was often floated as a possible Democratic candidate.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025
Berenter said people have become more familiar with the concept of purifying sewage — and much more trusting of the science behind it — since San Diego first floated the idea two decades ago.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
Since Hereditary floated into theaters in 2018, writer-director Ari Aster has evolved his interests considerably, from the sunny folk-horror of Midsommar (2019) to the phantasmagoric Beau Is Afraid (2023) to the social thriller Eddington (2025).
—Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
Richie and Paris said in an interview with Glamour last year that their parents weren't on board when the idea for The Simple Life was first floated.
—Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
When Mike and Carol floated the Smith River, Drew fed the dogs for them, producing another pantry moment when Carol showed Drew where the kibble was stored.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025
Baumgartner floated a similar measure in April as part of his Restore College Sports Act.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Moments later, a bubble floated from his now-open mouth and brushed his eye, jogging him awake.
—Sean Williams, Outside, 27 Oct. 2025
Before former President Joe Biden ended his 2024 campaign and endorsed then-Vice President Kamala Harris, Newsom's name was often floated as a possible Democratic candidate.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025
Berenter said people have become more familiar with the concept of purifying sewage — and much more trusting of the science behind it — since San Diego first floated the idea two decades ago.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
Since Hereditary floated into theaters in 2018, writer-director Ari Aster has evolved his interests considerably, from the sunny folk-horror of Midsommar (2019) to the phantasmagoric Beau Is Afraid (2023) to the social thriller Eddington (2025).
—Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
Richie and Paris said in an interview with Glamour last year that their parents weren't on board when the idea for The Simple Life was first floated.
—Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
When Mike and Carol floated the Smith River, Drew fed the dogs for them, producing another pantry moment when Carol showed Drew where the kibble was stored.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floated
Verb
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Kansas City's brisk temperatures hovered in the low 50s as the red-and-gold looked to extend its winning record.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
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The number of murders attributed to the Boston Strangler has long hovered around 13 women, killed between June 14, 1962, and January 1964, all in the greater Boston area.—
Jane LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
My thoughts wandered from one subject to another without continuity.—
Bill Shaber,
Outdoor Life,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The unidentified body, which is believed to be a female, was found by a rancher searching for livestock that had wandered off, officials told WFAA.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The goalie made a shoulder save on a wrist shot by captain Jared Spurgeon, but the rebound sailed high into the air, then landed in the crease.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Kasay’s ensuing 45-yard kick sailed just wide right.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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AlUla has morphed from a sleepy archaeological site into Saudi Arabia’s adventure playground over the past decade, where visitors revel in raves and practice sunrise yoga in the same valley the Nabataeans once roamed.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Parasites have roamed the Earth for a long time.—
Regina G. Barber,
NPR,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In a stream of southern China filled with plant debris, a pinkish river creature with wrinkly lips swam through the murk, perhaps searching for a meal or a mate.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
27 Oct. 2025
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The incident comes days after a family in Massachusetts similarly swam ashore to a nearby island off the coast of Cape Cod.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Some from their cohort had gone before — Paul Newman in 2008, Shelley Duvall in 2024, Gene Hackman in February — while others have simply drifted from view.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Its path began in northwestern Tennessee and drifted south over the course of a year.—
Mackensy Lunsford,
Nashville Tennessean,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Less than two hours before the Raptors were scheduled to begin their home season with a game against the Milwaukee Bucks, head coach Darko Rajaković strolled into a small room adjacent to the team’s locker room, as usual.—
Eric Koreen,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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On Thursday, April 3, Carey and Monroe strolled into the room while Moroccan was live on the streaming platform Twitch for about 10 minutes playing video games with friends.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Adebayo only scored four points and didn’t hit another three-pointer after his first-quarter eruption, but the Heat still cruised to a blowout win behind its balanced attack.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
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In the Catholic Central League, Jordi Higgins (two goals) and Bridgette McGinnis (goal, assist) provided a boost offensively as Bishop Feehan cruised to a 5-0 shutout of Bishop Stang.—
Tyler McManus,
Boston Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Floated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floated. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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