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
-
Pakistan made these subsidy reforms in recent years because of loan requirements from the International Monetary Fund, or IMF, which has lent Pakistan more than $10 billion in the past decade alone to keep its economy afloat.—
Betsy Joles,
NPR,
21 Aug. 2025
-
The bulk carrier sustained damages from the explosion and fire but remained afloat, officials confirmed.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Given that the average credit card APR is hovering above 21% right now, even modest balances can become expensive to carry over time.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
-
Photos from the incident showed dozens of rescuers hovering over the narrow hole, which was roughly five feet wide, while lowering a ladder down to the man.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The mother and grandmother of a 2-year-old girl were arrested in San Antonio, Texas, after the toddler was found wandering the woods barefoot and alone early Friday morning.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Dec. 2025
-
Photos taken earlier this year showed several dogs with bright blue fur wandering the site of the 1986 nuclear disaster in Ukraine, fueling widespread speculation online, including theories of radiation exposure and mutations.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The supertanker was seen sailing under the flag of Guyana, according to the BBC.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
11 Dec. 2025
-
The ship is 20 years old, initially sailing under the name The Toyo in 2005.—
Jennifer Jacobs,
CBS News,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Accessible only by passenger ferry or private boat, Georgia's largest and southernmost barrier island feels worlds away from the mainland, thanks to its maritime forests, expansive salt marshes, shimmering coastal waters, and wild horses roaming the dunes.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
14 June 2026
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Tourists in national team shirts and officials and media members with credential lanyards around their necks are roaming around Bayside Marketplace.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
Verb
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In April, Stephen Woods’ son-in-law, Ryan Jennings, was swimming with his two oldest children while on a family vacation in Florida when a rip current dragged them out.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
-
In the demo, I was treated to a cutscene of my character breaking their handcuffs and swimming ashore to the town of Ashenridge.—
Jacqueline Goldblatt,
PC Magazine,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
This means there are never any strangers drifting past your breakfast table or competing for loungers.—
Arion McNicoll,
TheWeek,
15 June 2026
-
Keeping his thoughts from drifting too much, even about Cuba, has propelled his career forward.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Verb
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He's been cruising this season, leading the NTT IndyCar Series with 386 points, and looking every bit like the guy to beat (again).—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 July 2025
-
Chicago and Northwest Indiana formed an industrial hub then, with plentiful factory jobs from the steel mills behind the buildings that make up the city's iconic skyline, to car factories assembling the Fords cruising along Lake Shore Drive.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Floating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floating. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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