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
Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 17 June 2026
Consider using a data removal service to reduce how much personal information is floating around online.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 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
Come summer, locals living in Bend, Oregon, love the warm-weather tradition of floating along the Deschutes River right through the gorgeous and outdoorsy Central Oregon town.
—Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 17 June 2026
Consider using a data removal service to reduce how much personal information is floating around online.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for floating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floating
Adjective
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But those are optimistic goals for a regime that has proven unable or unwilling to keep its own economy afloat.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
-
If there’s any big bugaboo in his profile, he can be beaten by higher-end velocity, but his ability to adjust to secondary offerings keeps him afloat.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
10 June 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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My favorite part of my trip to Omaha, Nebraska, for the College World Series left me wandering in the middle of the night somewhere between the ballpark and my hotel.—
Ken Sugiura,
AJC.com,
20 June 2026
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Police in Holly, Michigan, say an 18-month-old boy who was seen wandering on a Ring camera on Friday has been identified and located.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Tehran retaliated by targeting ships sailing through the strait, effectively closing the sea lane and triggering the biggest oil supply disruption in history.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
17 June 2026
-
Russia’s defense ministry said the crew fired warning shots several hundred yards in front of the yacht, which appeared to be sailing on a collision course with the vessel.—
Hira Humayun,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
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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Let Florida panthers resume roaming by night in one of the last swaths of wilderness left to them.—
Eve Samples,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Quincy High School principal Keith Ford wrote in a letter to families obtained by CBS Boston that Costa was swimming at the Boston-area pond with his classmates, all of whom had just graduated on June 9.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
22 June 2026
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An activity that may seem leisurely, such as swimming in a river, could end up more dangerous if someone encounters an unexpected rip current.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
Verb
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The bedroom window was open wide, the char of campfire smoke drifting through.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 June 2026
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Most concerning, according to an analysis by the San Diego County Taxpayers Association, is a 2026-27 spending plan that is balanced on paper but drifting steadily toward a structural deficit like the one that haunts the city of San Diego.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 June 2026
Verb
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The luxury lines Seabourn and Silversea both offer expedition cruising (on top of their traditional cruise products), and the luxury tour company Abercrombie & Kent also charters Ponant ships for expedition cruises to the polar regions.—
Scott Laird,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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The Sooners lost their opening game of the SEC tournament in May, but have lost just once since, cruising through the NCAA tournament en route to the program's first title game appearance since 2022.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Floating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floating. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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