as in afloat
riding upon the surface of a body of liquid
the wreckage remained floating for hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in hovering
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wandering
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.
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Recent Examples of floating
Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2023
This tablet also comes with a full-sized floating keyboard that resembles Apple’s iPad Air and Pro Magic Keyboard.
—Patrick Moorhead, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2023
Bridget Shirvell, Martha Stewart, 9 June 2026
One of the turbine’s most distinctive features is its floating design.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for floating
Adjective
The United States shot down three more floating objects in the following days, then announced that there was no sign that any of them were connected to China.
—Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2023
This tablet also comes with a full-sized floating keyboard that resembles Apple’s iPad Air and Pro Magic Keyboard.
—Patrick Moorhead, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2023
Verb
That's because the majority of commercially available oysters are grown by oyster farmers in coastal waters using systems such as floating bags, cages, or suspended trays.
—Bridget Shirvell, Martha Stewart, 9 June 2026
One of the turbine’s most distinctive features is its floating design.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for floating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floating
Adjective
-
Myron reached the man and kept him afloat until help arrived, the wife said.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
-
The artist behind the series descended into poverty following the breakdown that left her unable to paint; years later her teen daughter, Indigo, herself a gifted artist, is barely keeping the two of them afloat.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Nahant Beach saw another jump to 95% after hovering around 80% for the previous four years, the report stated.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
9 June 2026
-
When Sean Penn and Madonna got married in 1985, their Malibu wedding was interrupted by several helicopters hovering.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Visitors might arrive by crossing the central plaza; emerging from the underground parking garage, nestled into a berm; or else wandering in from the surrounding Jackson Park, a network of pastoral paths completed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1871.—
Sam Cochran,
Architectural Digest,
4 June 2026
-
Check tour lengths in advance and look at what else is on the property — many distilleries sit on historic estates worth wandering for the scenery alone.—
Lauren Schuster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Among the new lines sailing in Alaska are MSC, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and Virgin Voyages.—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
The Michigan couple, both US nationals, had been sailing together for more than a decade, documenting their life at sea on social media.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Nothing but smoke and fires roaming freely, invading even our graves.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
-
Videos went viral of bears rummaging through supermarket aisles and roaming school grounds, setting local communities on edge.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Her body was found a few miles away from where she was believed to have been swimming, per police, according to the Miami Herald.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
7 June 2026
-
Establish and enforce basic pool and water safety rules, such as never swimming without an adult present.—
Chaunie Brusie,
Parents,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
The new Fast & Furious coaster will feature 360-degree rotating coaster vehicles designed to look like drifting race cars from the street racing film franchise that has earned $7 billion at the worldwide box office.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
8 June 2026
-
Honeywell shares are drifting lower after the company reaffirmed its full-year outlook and provided new guidance for Honeywell Technologies, the name of the remaining company following the separation of its aerospace business.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
The jet offers a cabin altitude of 2,691 feet while cruising at 41,000 feet, which the company describes as the lowest cabin altitude in business aviation production.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
6 June 2026
-
Wacha was cruising until the sixth inning.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Floating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floating. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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