floated

verb

past tense of float
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

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 European leaders have even floated a boycott of FIFA events, while execs behind closed doors are plotting rival tournaments that could leave Infantino on the outside looking in before the next election cycle. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 The notion that Ellison would exit California if the state AGs sued to block the Paramount-WBD merger was floated in an item last month by Semafor. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026 Sydney Collins had floated a curling pass to Lema, who had come on as a substitute minutes earlier. — Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026 Someone in Beijing floated convertibility-by-token, watched the implications propagate, and closed the file. — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Hilton rejects the argument floated by some of his former colleagues that his scruples became a casualty of his ambition. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Craig threw a pass to sophomore slot receiver Ed Small that was tightly contested, and the ball floated in the air off a deflection, landing in the hands of redshirt junior safety Jordan Lester. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Aug. 2026 The idea is floated that Alice married Hagood because her churchgoing parents would not have countenanced her going to Paris any other way; then again, photographs of him present a man of striking good looks. — Ian Penman, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 In the meeting today, attendees floated the idea of a future event related to the proposal, perhaps to continue discussing it. — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floated
  1. hovered
  2. wandered
  3. sailed
  4. roamed
  5. swam
  6. drifted
  7. strolled
  8. cruised
Verb
  • Between 2002 to 2014, sequels hovered somewhere between 20 to 30 percent of the overall annual box office, with a few peaks and valleys in between.
    — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 10 Aug. 2026
  • As temperatures hovered around 80 degrees and few clouds obscured a bright blue sky, many people took the opportunity to enjoy a summer day last week at Montrose Beach.
    — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of hovered
Verb
  • In both cases, a child that Tyler Boebert was watching wandered away from Congresswoman Boebert’s home, according to 9News.
    — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The Hunters and Firebells, who would play the following day, wandered the grounds in full uniform.
    — Jaclyn Licht, NPR, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of wandered
Verb
  • Some guests have sailed their own boats; few would be caught dead on a big ship.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Rutherford sailed past the Nordic countries of Norway and Sweden just a few days ago, and crossed into waters controlled by the Russian government this weekend.
    — Henry Larson, NPR, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of sailed
Verb
  • At safety, Kevin Byard roamed all over the secondary, gave up one reception and tallied a would-be sack on a blitz.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Between canapés and conversations, the Directory members roamed the gallery’s furniture, textiles, and lighting, many conceived as an homage to South Asian craftsmanship reimagined through a Western lens.
    — AD PRO, Architectural Digest, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of roamed
Verb
  • During an altercation between the occupants of the boats, Simpson swam to the air compressor and turned it off, according to an affidavit.
    — Milena Malaver, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Many swam several miles in the Mediterranean to avoid the heavily fortified border fence – leaving 88 people drowned in just 48 hours.
    — Kelsey Norman, The Conversation, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of swam
Verb
  • Reilly two-putted for par, and won the match when Cowan's par putt drifted to the right.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • On Wednesday, Omani authorities said the spill had drifted to reach the mainland, affecting 25 miles (40km) of the Ras Madrakah coastline, more than 124 miles (200km) away from the tanker.
    — Sarah El Sirgany, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of drifted
Verb
  • Visitors strolled through the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens Saturday morning to kick off Obon Weekend, a traditional Japanese festival honoring the spirits of ancestors.
    — Mike Stocker, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Former Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt was one of 26 Hall of Famers who strolled through the cornfields and walked to the infield ahead of Thursday’s game.
    — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of strolled
Verb
  • The Denver Broncos cruised to a 27-7 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Friday in their preseason opener, pushing their winning streak in exhibition games to eight dating back to 2023.
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Tom Tiffany cruised to an easy victory in the Republican competition and David Crowley got 45% of the votes in the Democratic primary – the most of any candidate in that race.
    — Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of cruised

Browse Nearby Words

float
floated
floating
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Cite this Entry

“Floated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floated. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of floated for Spanish Speakers

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