1
as in hovers
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wanders
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
as in docks
a structure used by boats and ships for taking on or landing cargo and passengers
the crew put the cargo on the float before heading back down the river
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of floats
Amina Kilpatrick, NBC news, 19 June 2026
As if value just floats in thin air and evil aldermen are firing bazookas in its saintly direction.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
The plush toy was selected from thousands of submissions to serve as the mission's zero-gravity indicator -- an object that floats once a spacecraft reaches weightlessness.
—ABC News, 18 June 2026
There’s a scene later in the episode, after this argument, when Louis goes to see Lestat’s concert and Lestat floats toward Louis in the audience and then really insultingly drops a copy of Interview With the Vampire in his lap.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 June 2026
Outside, a marble statue floats in a trickling fountain.
—Jenna Thompson
june 16, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
It’s anchored to the pool walls with bungee cords on either end, so that the mat floats in the middle of the pool but doesn’t flip over.
—Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026
Just look at how Wembanyama floats back into the paint, way out of position, and appears to forget Anunoby is behind him.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 13 June 2026
The event features various community floats maneuvering through the La Mesa Village from Memorial Drive to Acadia Avenue.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2026
Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 18 June 2026
In addition to team stars like Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Karl Anthony Towns and Josh Hart, the floats carried Mayor Zohran Mamdani and many members of the team’s celebrity cheering section, like Chris Rock, Spike Lee, Timothee Chamalet and Fat Joe.
—Shaheem Reid, Variety, 18 June 2026
Stiller was seen on one of the floats on Thursday.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2026
The entire Knicks team will be on floats for their championship parade on Thursday.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026
Kids line up here for scoops and floats, while parents enjoy the shade at outdoor picnic tables or on the roof overlooking the water.
—Katherine Lawless, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026
The wafting smell of buttery grits floats in the air and the sound of oil crackling in pans bounces off concrete walls.
—Delia Rose Sauer, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
The parade will feature colorful floats, marching bands, community groups, special guests and entertainers.
—Kate Gray, CBS News, 9 June 2026
Historically, large IPOs with average initial floats of less than 10% of outstanding shares see that figure balloon to around 46% a year after their debuts, according to data compiled by Goldman Sachs.
—Jeran Wittenstein, Fortune, 7 June 2026
Verb
People hold their phones up to improve their views of the parade floats on Maiden Lane and Broadway.
—Amina Kilpatrick, NBC news, 19 June 2026
As if value just floats in thin air and evil aldermen are firing bazookas in its saintly direction.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
The plush toy was selected from thousands of submissions to serve as the mission's zero-gravity indicator -- an object that floats once a spacecraft reaches weightlessness.
—ABC News, 18 June 2026
There’s a scene later in the episode, after this argument, when Louis goes to see Lestat’s concert and Lestat floats toward Louis in the audience and then really insultingly drops a copy of Interview With the Vampire in his lap.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 June 2026
Outside, a marble statue floats in a trickling fountain.
—Jenna Thompson
june 16, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
It’s anchored to the pool walls with bungee cords on either end, so that the mat floats in the middle of the pool but doesn’t flip over.
—Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026
Just look at how Wembanyama floats back into the paint, way out of position, and appears to forget Anunoby is behind him.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 13 June 2026
The event features various community floats maneuvering through the La Mesa Village from Memorial Drive to Acadia Avenue.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2026
Noun
Knicks fans get engaged during champions parade As the players passed by on floats and confetti drifted through the air along the route up Broadway2, some Knicks fans took advantage of the magical moment.
—Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 18 June 2026
In addition to team stars like Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Karl Anthony Towns and Josh Hart, the floats carried Mayor Zohran Mamdani and many members of the team’s celebrity cheering section, like Chris Rock, Spike Lee, Timothee Chamalet and Fat Joe.
—Shaheem Reid, Variety, 18 June 2026
Stiller was seen on one of the floats on Thursday.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2026
The entire Knicks team will be on floats for their championship parade on Thursday.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026
Kids line up here for scoops and floats, while parents enjoy the shade at outdoor picnic tables or on the roof overlooking the water.
—Katherine Lawless, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026
The wafting smell of buttery grits floats in the air and the sound of oil crackling in pans bounces off concrete walls.
—Delia Rose Sauer, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
The parade will feature colorful floats, marching bands, community groups, special guests and entertainers.
—Kate Gray, CBS News, 9 June 2026
Historically, large IPOs with average initial floats of less than 10% of outstanding shares see that figure balloon to around 46% a year after their debuts, according to data compiled by Goldman Sachs.
—Jeran Wittenstein, Fortune, 7 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floats
Verb
-
Building on a recurring motif of witches, Woods has Emily and Sylvia lift off during a thunderstorm, soaring above the city skyline in a sequence that hovers between dream and fantasy.—
Natalia Winkelman,
Variety,
16 June 2026
-
Bubblegum-pink parasols frame the infinity pool, which hovers over the private sandy beach and shows off views spanning all the way to the Lérins Islands.—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
The lagoon, which wanders almost the entire length of the garden, adds a swath of blue to this oasis of green.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 June 2026
-
In its most scenic moments, the train wanders along the island’s coastline and through rainforest, and sugar cane fields.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
How to Get There The most common route to Mackinac Island is to fly into Pellston Regional Airport (PLN), about 30 minutes from the ferry docks in Mackinaw City.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
13 June 2026
-
That ship docks in Curaçao on June 25.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
As the ship sails the Antarctic Peninsula, passengers go on excursions, such as taking a Zodiac or kayaking, to view wildlife and immerse themselves in nature.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
-
Before the quartet of late November and December holiday sailings begins, the ship sails an almost identical route along the Seine between March and November.—
Chrissie McClatchie,
Travel + Leisure,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
North Carolina will be under the microscope as long as Bill Belichick roams the sidelines in Chapel Hill.—
Antonio Morales,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
-
Today, the herd roams the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and is managed in partnership with the local fire company, which hosts the annual pony swim—a beloved local tradition.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
In San Isidro, a movement was born Castillo and Otero grew up in San Isidro, a working class, hardscrabble neighborhood abutting the wharfs near the Port of Havana, and became friends – one a rapper, the other a visual artist.—
Rick Jervis,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
-
The wharves and warehouses along Pratt Street burned fiercely.—
Jacques Kelly,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Some of them have commanded many millions at auction, like 1972’s Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures), showing a man looking into the pool as another man swims underwater to the edge.—
Devorah Lauter for ARTNews,
Robb Report,
12 June 2026
-
Speaking in a new interview with Today, published Wednesday, May 27, Michigan resident Betty Morris, who turned 101 on May 13 and still drives and swims daily, revealed her top four tips for longevity.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Romantic Venus drifts through your 12th House of Solitude and Healing, forming a sextile to radical Uranus in your 10th House of Career, so private reflection can shape bold improvements.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
15 June 2026
-
Many spots in Bali do these well, but The Seed fully embraces the pleasure of showering beneath open skies while warm evening air drifts through tropical greenery.—
Arion McNicoll,
TheWeek,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Floats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floats. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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