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
Relevance
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
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Recent Examples of floats
Rachael Seidler, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2026
This neutral running shoe has a slim, knitted tongue that floats over the top of your feet, locking them in without applying uncomfortable pressure.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
On top of all this tech floats a layer of lag.
—Jason Fried, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
McCollough’s take on a Queen Anne’s cabinet floats magically in a corner (open the doors for a surprise).
—Grace Edquist, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2026
James Provost In practical terms, this shouldn’t create any noticeable interference, given that this transmitter puts out milliwatts at most and floats miles away from the nearest receiver.
—IEEE Spectrum, 31 Jan. 2026
Tucked on a hillside in the Rustic Canyon neighborhood, the house floats above a natural spring that flows through the property, resting on six concrete columns sunk 30 feet into the ground.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
An invisible ocean floats above our heads, so why not tap into it, literally?
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Amid the cold marble, dull plaster and dark wood that make up the austere halls of justice at the Porter County Courthouse, an oasis of calm and comfort now floats on the fifth floor in what is believed to be the first victim assistance suite of its kind in the state.
—Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
Carlie Procell, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
The bigger problem would be that Americans would hate a world without work, where the jobless rate floats at 30 percent instead of 4 percent.
—Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
Books of all shapes, sizes and colors featured prominently on the floats and costumes.
—ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
Frosted sodas and floats, the return of the beloved cow calendar, and retro packaging are just a few of the favorites Chick-fil-A has debuted this year already.
—Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026
Once made of glass and cherished by parade spectators who were lucky enough to catch them, today cheap plastic beaded necklaces from overseas are tossed from floats by the handful.
—Travis Loller, Arkansas Online, 16 Feb. 2026
Build and arrange three toy floats and 18 LEGO minifigures—from musicians to performers.
—Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 4 Feb. 2026
Stories involving a sitar, a surfboard, several root beer floats and a bride-to-be.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
More than 100 parade units are expected to participate in the 2026 celebration, including Irish dance performances, live music, floats and more.
—Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
Without gravity pulling downward, the brain floats in the skull and experiences various forces from the surrounding soft tissues and the skull itself.
—Rachael Seidler, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2026
This neutral running shoe has a slim, knitted tongue that floats over the top of your feet, locking them in without applying uncomfortable pressure.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
On top of all this tech floats a layer of lag.
—Jason Fried, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
McCollough’s take on a Queen Anne’s cabinet floats magically in a corner (open the doors for a surprise).
—Grace Edquist, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2026
James Provost In practical terms, this shouldn’t create any noticeable interference, given that this transmitter puts out milliwatts at most and floats miles away from the nearest receiver.
—IEEE Spectrum, 31 Jan. 2026
Tucked on a hillside in the Rustic Canyon neighborhood, the house floats above a natural spring that flows through the property, resting on six concrete columns sunk 30 feet into the ground.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
An invisible ocean floats above our heads, so why not tap into it, literally?
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Amid the cold marble, dull plaster and dark wood that make up the austere halls of justice at the Porter County Courthouse, an oasis of calm and comfort now floats on the fifth floor in what is believed to be the first victim assistance suite of its kind in the state.
—Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
The parades are organized by elite and mysterious krewes that spend months preparing for the holiday, decorating their floats and selecting those who get to ride on them.
—Carlie Procell, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
The bigger problem would be that Americans would hate a world without work, where the jobless rate floats at 30 percent instead of 4 percent.
—Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
Books of all shapes, sizes and colors featured prominently on the floats and costumes.
—ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
Frosted sodas and floats, the return of the beloved cow calendar, and retro packaging are just a few of the favorites Chick-fil-A has debuted this year already.
—Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026
Once made of glass and cherished by parade spectators who were lucky enough to catch them, today cheap plastic beaded necklaces from overseas are tossed from floats by the handful.
—Travis Loller, Arkansas Online, 16 Feb. 2026
Build and arrange three toy floats and 18 LEGO minifigures—from musicians to performers.
—Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 4 Feb. 2026
Stories involving a sitar, a surfboard, several root beer floats and a bride-to-be.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
More than 100 parade units are expected to participate in the 2026 celebration, including Irish dance performances, live music, floats and more.
—Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floats
Verb
-
Total annual volume hovers around $4 billion, industry sources estimate.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Its landmark suspension bridge, once a cattle-drive crossing on the Chisholm Trail, still hovers over the Brazos River as an echo of the city’s 19th-century frontier heritage.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Marcloid wanders patiently through these generative soundscapes like a documentarian in thrall to the process, recording snapshots of the music’s continuous ecosystem.—
Maxie Younger,
Pitchfork,
11 Feb. 2026
-
When Elizabeth wanders down below and sees the Creature, the two are mesmerized by one another.—
Jenelle Riley,
Variety,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The amphibious ready groups, including the Iwo Jima and two transport docks that travel with it, were scheduled to deploy to Europe when their orders diverted them to the Caribbean.—
Jamie Tarabay,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The property will consist of 53 potential truck docks and generate approximately 519 daily vehicle trips, said Doug Hammel, deputy director of community development for the village of Glenview.—
Jennifer Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The company sails out of 22 ports across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.—
Lorraine Mirabella,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Star Princess sails around the Caribbean and Alaska, both of which are exceptional choices for romantic sailings.—
Megan duBois,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Over the course of extended scenes, the eye roams the frame, alighting on the pop of natural and manmade details alike.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2026
-
In the second—and maddest—section of the poem, the narrator, having fled in panic to France, roams the Breton shoreline.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The wharves and warehouses along Pratt Street burned fiercely.—
Jacques Kelly,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The infrastructure humans build in the water ‒ houses, piers, wharves, jetties, and even oil rigs ‒ create new habitats for juvenile jellyfish, called polyps, to attach and grow, Bologna said.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Steve Niese swims in Coney Island year-round and did describe the great benefits of cold water plunging in an article of a major newspaper.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Today, that turtle swims with three flippers in the new 4,000-gallon rehabilitation pool.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The film tells the story 21-year-old Junyang, who drifts through life while his father quietly struggles to hold their modest home together.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Kelly’s mid-30s John drifts through life, straining against his mother Jackie Onassis’s expectations while inhabiting a world that’s so clearly his own personal oyster farm.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Floats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floats. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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