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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
Because seniors are less likely to know that this information is floating around, making scams seem more convincing.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025
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
The notes from the case file, as reported by FITSNews, shed light on many rumors that were floating around the area in the weeks following Smith's death.
—Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
Because seniors are less likely to know that this information is floating around, making scams seem more convincing.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for floating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floating
Adjective
-
According to Bookman, his partner was struggling with substance abuse and was barely able to stay afloat, even with the success of his invention.—
Otto Rabe,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Earlier this month, the Department of Agriculture used tax revenue to allocate $300 million to keep the program — known in full as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children — afloat.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
These sausage bites are the appetizer that will keep crowds hovering around the buffet table.—
Mary Alice Russell,
Southern Living,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Disney+ churn rates had been steady at around 3-4 percent per month consistently this year, with churn rates at Hulu hovering at 4-5 percent per month.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Deliberate mind wandering, where people give themselves the freedom to drift off-subject, allowing their thoughts to take a different course.—
Liz Regalia,
Parents,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Rich Hill's wandering journey through the Major League Baseball landscape is truly unique.—
Jon Paul Hoornstra,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Columbus continued to search for gold before sailing to the neighboring island, now known as Cuba.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Below Deck Sailing Yacht star Daisy Kelliher is sailing the seas with her very own new podcast, The Hollywood Reporter can exclusively reveal.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
While some dogs were found roaming around the house, others were in cages.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
22 Oct. 2025
-
From the Mercury and Gemini missions to the drama of Apollo 13, the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, and the robotic explorers roaming Mars, NASA's history is packed with daring feats and scientific firsts.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
And no, there weren’t crowds swimming in Hurricane Melissa’s floodwaters on the streets.—
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Unlike the first one, Rana Pratap II wasn’t swimming in scam money.—
Snigdha Poonam,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Outside, the aroma of turmeric, cardamom, and garam masala mingles with the sweet haze of incense drifting down the street and masking the underworld accused of hiding just around the corner.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
-
No leaves on the trees, few birds in the sky; the spacious vistas interdicted in all directions by armed men in black uniforms—police at the perimeter barricades, police on motorcycles, police drifting overhead in helicopters.—
Henry Freedland,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Others may prefer Zodiac boat cruising, helicopter rides, or submarine dives.—
Ashton Palmer,
Travel + Leisure,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Dozens of those over-the-top displays will be on our annual holiday lights map, which is used by individuals, bus tours, limo parties and others who have made cruising the Phoenix area in search of the biggest and brightest part of their holiday tradition.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Floating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floating. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share