float 1 of 2

1
as in to hover
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

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2

float

2 of 2

noun

as in dock
a structure used by boats and ships for taking on or landing cargo and passengers the crew put the cargo on the float before heading back down the river

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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 float
Verb
While McDaniel and Passan give Mullins a 70% chance to be traded at this deadline, the trajectory of the Orioles likely will lead to his name being floated more often as July approaches. Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025 A little girl has died after being found floating in a pool early Friday morning in El Portal, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 27 June 2025
Noun
Social media posts indicate that work was done on parade floats in New York and California, new music was recorded in London and performer rehearsals have started in Florida. Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 June 2025 While the guests are out snorkeling, Kyle spots the banana float drifting away from the boat. Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for float
Recent Examples of Synonyms for float
Verb
  • Oil prices need to hover around $65 a barrel for energy producers to profitably drill new wells, according to another Dallas Fed survey.
    Kate Marijolovic, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 June 2025
  • Overnight temperatures are forecast to be hovering near 80 degrees.
    Daniel Manzo, ABC News, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • Among the chaos is Rupert Friend, playing Martin Krebs, who's assembling a group to take to the scene of the devastation in hopes of extracting DNA from the creatures roaming the island to fund his next medical breakthrough.
    Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
  • Bear numbers swelled, and by the mid-2000s, more than 600 bears roamed the Yellowstone area.
    Christine Peterson, Vox, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • Steveston’s Seafood Heritage Richmond’s Steveston Village reflects its maritime roots with fresh Pacific seafood, working docks, and heritage sites like the Gulf of Georgia Cannery.
    Taryn White, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
  • On June 6, a boat burst into flames at a Sunny Isles Beach condominium dock, impacting six boats and two personal watercraft.
    Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • American Pilots Are Backing Israel’s Drone Defense, Netanyahu Says New Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Upgrade Now Makes Sense Under the old system, a cruiser who sailed frequently over many years earned lifetime Diamond status based on nights at sea.
    Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
  • Carnival will overhaul its loyalty program next year, measuring status largely based on purchases rather than days sailed – and giving guests new ways to earn and redeem benefits.
    Nathan Diller, USA Today, 19 June 2025
Verb
  • So a guineafowl moving at a slow jog of 1 km/h (0.6 mph) – roughly the pace of a wandering toddler – through Alexander's formula would be estimated as 4.7 km/h (2.9 mph).
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 June 2025
  • Guests are invited to wander the gardens, join sourdough baking classes, and basically geek out on where their food comes from.
    Lanee Lee, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
Noun
  • At the ferry wharf the road splits three ways: the left road takes me to the eastern part of the town, known as Hollett’s Cove; straight ahead is the highway to Eastport, the nearest town of any size, paved only a few years before.
    Robert Finch June 18, Literary Hub, 18 June 2025
  • It was announced that the recovered had been taken to the next wharf over, and there was her father among them, his face blank with shock.
    Jim Shepard, New Yorker, 8 June 2025
Verb
  • That's where sharks prey naturally, and humans swimming there could get caught in the mix.
    Peter D'Abrosca, FOXNews.com, 29 June 2025
  • Before the beach was reopened for swimming on Thursday, park police and staff again used drones to identify marine life in the area while lifeguards patrolled from the shore and by watercraft, according to the statement.
    Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • Even minor sparks or drifting embers can incite nearby foliage or grass, setting off a rapidly spreading fire.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2025
  • Without that connection, even high-output leaders can drift into disengagement or overwork disguised as drive.
    Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Float.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/float. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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