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
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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
Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Walking among this throng of floating color balls is surreal and well worth the drive.
—Shauna Farnell, Denver Post, 25 May 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
The elaborate staging kept with the song’s energy, with the group bursting out of a giant pink teddy bear outfitted with speakers for paws, interrupting a tea party scene populated by extras with pinkies raised, before launching into the track amid a cascade of colour and floating stuffed animals.
—Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Walking among this throng of floating color balls is surreal and well worth the drive.
—Shauna Farnell, Denver Post, 25 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for floating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floating
Adjective
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But a pandemic-era program is helping to keep it afloat as inflation worsens, while also aiming to create a new generation of seafood lovers.—
Joe Hernandez,
NPR,
23 May 2026
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In the show, LeBeouf — who is now mom to four — recounted the struggle of trying to stay afloat.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
Solo opened to $65 million internationally a global debut hovering in the $168 million range.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
26 May 2026
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The temperatures were quite cold, hovering around 18 degrees Celsius on-track and just over 13 degrees for the air temperature.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
Verb
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Woodley built Annie’s interior life largely in silence, on a replica Graceland set, wandering the rooms during lunch breaks and asking herself what a woman would actually do during two years of total isolation.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
23 May 2026
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Meanwhile, their daughter, Poppy, 11, is wandering through fields of French lavender, armed with a walkie-talkie, keeping an eye out for snakes, searching for peacocks, and hoping to run into her grandmother, who lives on the property.—
Ingrid Abramovitch,
Architectural Digest,
22 May 2026
Verb
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From Komodo National Park To Chilean Patagonia Lamima is also sailing through Komodo National Park this summer, an Indonesian destination Lyons says is also notably on the rise.—
Rebecca Ann Hughes,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
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The area offers a clear line of sight of Space's Starbase test site (as well as the boats sailing around Port Isabel, which is nice).—
Tariq Malik,
Space.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Free-roaming felines kill 2 billion birds a year in America.—
Bruce M. Beehler,
Washington Post,
26 May 2026
-
Russian universities, previously thought of as off-limits, are now seeing more military recruiters roaming the halls.—
Daniel DePetris,
Mercury News,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Even cities like Paris have plenty of options for cooling off in summer, from swimming in the Seine to Emily in Paris famous pools like Molitor (plan to spend a full day and lunch at the panoramic rooftop restaurant).—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2026
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Once a mine has been located, a diver with explosives normally places a charge on the mine before swimming away to detonate it.—
Emma Burrows,
Fortune,
24 May 2026
Verb
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Even minor sparks or drifting embers can incite nearby foliage or grass, setting off a rapidly spreading fire.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
25 May 2026
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Flights last about 45 minutes, drifting past peaks and flat tops, over ranchland, wildflower fields, forests and ski slopes.—
Shauna Farnell,
Denver Post,
25 May 2026
Verb
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Choquette was cruising until that point, having retired 15 straight batters after walking junior Hailey Goode on four pitches to open the game, which was delayed nearly an hour due to lightning in the area.—
Gary Curreri,
Sun Sentinel,
23 May 2026
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The power was once again on display as UCLA hit three home runs, cruising to a 9-1 run-rule win over UCF in the first game of the NCAA Super Regional at Easton Stadium in Los Angeles Friday night.—
Matt Murschel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Floating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floating. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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