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
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
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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
Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 19 May 2026
Just days after his convictions were unanimously overturned in the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, prosecutors and defense attorneys are previewing major disputes over the death penalty, jury selection, financial-crimes evidence and floating an alternative suspect theory.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 19 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
If the lizard eats an apple, the bubbles get bigger, and if the lizard gets muddy, the bubbles sink instead of floating.
—Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 19 May 2026
Just days after his convictions were unanimously overturned in the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, prosecutors and defense attorneys are previewing major disputes over the death penalty, jury selection, financial-crimes evidence and floating an alternative suspect theory.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 19 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
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These sausage bites are the appetizer that will keep crowds hovering around the buffet table.—
Nellah Bailey McGough,
Southern Living,
19 May 2026
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Throughout the evening, Sting — in tight black leather pants, a white graphic T-shirt, and chunky black boots — never appeared winded, never reached for water, never dabbed sweat with a towel despite temperatures still hovering in the 80s well after sunset.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
19 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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Within the past two years, there have been instances of cows roaming away from their farms.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
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The city belongs to law-abiding residents, not roaming mobs looking to make a name for themselves or to contribute to the chaos or violence, and to get social media attention.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Medet Zheenaliev, 30, spotted four girls swimming in Lake Issyk-Kul in his home country of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday, and one of them was reportedly pulled under the current.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
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Their days are spent swimming in the lake, picnicking by the beach and debating poetry and literature.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
Verb
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In another image, Brown was photographed floating underwater in a pool, her dark hair drifting across the bright blue water as sunlight reflected across the surface.—
Danielle Minnetian,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
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The same report notes that Hilton publicly disputes Becerra’s assertion of front-runner status by citing polls indicating a tight race, underscoring that the campaigns are aggressively contesting the narrative rather than drifting in ambiguity.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 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 24 May. 2026.
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