floating 1 of 2

adjective

ˈflō-tiŋ How to pronounce floating (audio)
Definition of floatingnext
as in afloat
riding upon the surface of a body of liquid the wreckage remained floating for hours

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

floating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of float
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
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 cetaceans most commonly rested by floating dorsal-side-up at the surface, as well as below it. — Gennaro Tomma, Scientific American, 22 July 2026 On select sailings, there’s also a stop at Sandy Point, where the yacht drops anchor near the Abaco Islands and sets up the floating marina, complete with an ocean pool, loungers, and ocean sports. — Megan Dubois, Southern Living, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for floating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floating
  1. afloat
  2. hovering
  3. wandering
  4. sailing
  5. roaming
  6. swimming
  7. drifting
  8. cruising
Adjective
  • These sorts of subscriptions can add up quickly for consumers, adding recurring expenses at a time when many are struggling to stay afloat.
    — P.R. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 17 July 2026
  • Most small boats will remain afloat long enough to support passengers.
    — Pueng Vongs, Mercury News, 15 July 2026
Definition of afloat
Verb
  • With the global benchmark for oil prices now hovering near $100 per barrel, Ferreira warned that further escalation could push prices closer to $120—near the late-April high of $124 per barrel.
    — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 23 July 2026
  • The stock is hovering at around $324 at the time of writing, down over 15 percent over the last five days and about 28 percent year to date.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 23 July 2026
Definition of hovering
Verb
  • The animal dragged the bag across the course before wandering off, leaving the golfers with a story that’s sure to be a hole-in-one at the clubhouse.
    — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 17 July 2026
  • Following in the wasteland-wandering footsteps of its successful Fallout series, Amazon Prime is tripling down on live-action game adaptations.
    — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026
Definition of wandering
Verb
  • And Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) has struck ships sailing close to the Omani coastline.
    — Jomana Karadsheh, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
  • Among them are hundreds of thousands of families sailing aboard three Disney cruise ships, all homeported there.
    — Jack Kennedy, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026
Definition of sailing
Verb
  • Drought damages pasturelands, reduces the natural feed supply and restricts water access, all needed for raising large, roaming livestock.
    — Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026
  • This is especially dangerous when feeding large numbers of free-roaming cats.
    — Jack Perry, The Providence Journal, 16 July 2026
Definition of roaming
Verb
  • The Menlo Park Fire Protection District received a call during the week of July 13 stating that a dog had entered a body of water and was swimming.
    — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026
  • The East Palo Alto Police Department posted a separate video from the rescue that shows the dog swimming furiously with seagulls circling overhead and firefighters scooping him out of the murky water and swaddling him in towels.
    — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of swimming
Verb
  • Bertha is drifting slowly but is expected to move northwest tonight before tracking near or along the northern Gulf Coast over the next several days.
    — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 20 July 2026
  • Griezmann operated as a central attacker in a front three alongside Angulo and Ojeda, frequently drifting into deeper positions to collect the ball and turn play forward.
    — Scott Turick, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 July 2026
Definition of drifting
Verb
  • Webb was cruising along until hitting Randy Arozarena and walking Josh Naylor with one out in the seventh, bringing the tying run to the plate.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 19 July 2026
  • This is the cruise line’s first year cruising to Alaska, and our first time sailing with MSC.
    — Susan B. Barnes, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 July 2026
Definition of cruising

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Cite this Entry

“Floating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floating. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of floating for Spanish Speakers

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