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
Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer have both won championships in the 2020s, only to get fired twice since; Mike D’Antoni and Jeff Van Gundy have floated around in advisory or assistant roles in recent years. Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 22 May 2025 Nadal’s name floated down to the slot next to Zverev, the world No. 4 but the most in-form player ahead of the tournament after a win at the Italian Open. Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Noun
The float inside the tank automatically turns off the dehumidifier once it’s filled to capacity. Lisa Wood Shapiro, Wired News, 8 May 2025 There’s the annual National Independence Day Parade on Constitution Avenue, where drum corps and bands march alongside floats in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators. Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 5 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for float
Recent Examples of Synonyms for float
Verb
  • Then again, for those who have bought one of the most expensive tickets in Knicks history—with the get-in price hovering above $650 as of Friday morning—what’s a few more dollars for the chance to see New York potentially reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1999?
    Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 16 May 2025
  • The Vietnam War and its effects hover over the group.
    Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • Those two have scheduled meet and greets, but other characters like The Invisible Man and Ygor roam throughout Dark Universe.
    Eve Chen, USA Today, 26 May 2025
  • The refrigerator was not cold enough and two cats roamed the shop, violating state food code.
    Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2025
Noun
  • There was no way to survive between boat payments and dock fees and no income.
    Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2025
  • Trever Staten, 34, fell through a skylight at the facility in Hanover on May 2 and landed on a loading dock, the York County Coroner’s Office said in a May 6 news release.
    Kate Linderman, Miami Herald, 13 May 2025
Verb
  • McGriff — the poster boy for the Clean Sluggers of America — sailed in unanimously.
    Jayson Stark, New York Times, 16 May 2025
  • Winners sail to blue oceans instead, creating uncontested market space where competition becomes irrelevant.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • George, a backyard community cat who took up residence at the Loma Verde complex in Lakeland, Florida, grew impatient after getting neutered at the local SPCA and wandered nearly three miles back home, according to a press release shared with PEOPLE on Monday, May 19.
    Rachel Raposas, People.com, 19 May 2025
  • Researchers aimed to estimate the number of deaths each year caused by two factors: inadequate fencing to prevent young children from wandering into swimming pools and Americans not wearing a life jacket while boating.
    Kierra Frazier, CBS News, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • Stonington, Maine: After two devastating storms, plans are multiplying to raise and fortify wharves, roads and buildings.
    Mike Belleme, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
  • On Monday, a 150ft section of the Santa Cruz wharf collapsed while being hit by high waves.
    Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • What to do: Hiking dramatic portions of the Pacific Crest Trail; climbing peaks that few others have summited; boating and swimming in the adjacent NRAs.
    Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
  • To get the boat back on course, three crew members voluntarily entered the harbor to swim/push the boat back to shore.
    Susan DeGrane, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • Rebalance Regularly Over time, your portfolio may drift from your original allocation due to market movements.
    Francis Gingras Roy, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
  • Flower beds burst with color thanks to the volunteer Village Gardeners, heritage buildings peek out from redwoods, and the hum of conversation drifts from coffee cups at Sue’s cafe.
    Belal Aftab, Mercury News, 13 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Float.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/float. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

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