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
Saige Miller, NPR, 24 Apr. 2026
Little children wave and call out, while their parents work the soil with hoes and the smell of eucalyptus floats across the air.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Apr. 2026
My favorite detail is the red ribbon on Giovanna’s right shoulder, which fastens her sleeve to her dress and floats over the darkness.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
So Fasanara floats the cash, collects interest from the seller and directly assumes payment from the buying squad.
—Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Just as Earth has two very different poles — the Antarctic south pole, marked by a massive continent, and the icy north pole, whose ice floats atop the waters of the Arctic ocean — so too does Saturn.
—Big Think, 15 Apr. 2026
That’s because this stylish pair floats.
—Amanda Eyre Ward, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2026
Moments later, Glover’s attempt to read a quote from Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell gets interrupted by Reid flaunting his Canadian flag, while astronaut Christina (Sarah Sherman) floats on by, sleeping and snoring.
—William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2026
But when Willy floats into a conversation with Ben or experiences a memory of Biff’s high-school glory days, golden light floods the stage through a high bank of dirty windows.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
Mark Price
april 23, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2026
Fort Lauderdale airport travelers may catch some vacation vibes at the sight of seven brightly colored bird sculptures that resemble large pool floats.
—Megan Vaz, Sun Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
On an average day, Curaçao’s eclectic energy animates the island, but this period is especially boisterous—filled with costumed performers, twinkling floats, an abundance of music and good-natured, family-friendly revelry.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Apr. 2026
Macy's influence stretched far beyond its parades The giant floating balloons, floats, and performers that Americans see on TV today have become perhaps the biggest promotion for the start of the holiday shopping season.
—Randy Tucker, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
There have been parades around Old City with patriotic floats.
—Joe Brandt, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Scream Queens vegan ice cream company will serve root beer floats and other food and coffee vendors also will be on hand.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2026
Carnival parades in Germany are famed for their floats mocking a wide variety of domestic and global political figures, and Putin has frequently been a target.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Trump floats cutting Congress spring break short as DHS shutdown hits 45 days.
—FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
The toxic dust floats to neighboring states, such as Wyoming and Idaho during strong wind events.
—Saige Miller, NPR, 24 Apr. 2026
Little children wave and call out, while their parents work the soil with hoes and the smell of eucalyptus floats across the air.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Apr. 2026
My favorite detail is the red ribbon on Giovanna’s right shoulder, which fastens her sleeve to her dress and floats over the darkness.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
So Fasanara floats the cash, collects interest from the seller and directly assumes payment from the buying squad.
—Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Just as Earth has two very different poles — the Antarctic south pole, marked by a massive continent, and the icy north pole, whose ice floats atop the waters of the Arctic ocean — so too does Saturn.
—Big Think, 15 Apr. 2026
That’s because this stylish pair floats.
—Amanda Eyre Ward, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2026
Moments later, Glover’s attempt to read a quote from Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell gets interrupted by Reid flaunting his Canadian flag, while astronaut Christina (Sarah Sherman) floats on by, sleeping and snoring.
—William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2026
But when Willy floats into a conversation with Ben or experiences a memory of Biff’s high-school glory days, golden light floods the stage through a high bank of dirty windows.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
Three people were rescued Wednesday off the northern Outer Banks, after winds blew their floats more than a mile away from the coast, the Corolla Fire & Rescue Squad reported in an April 22 news release.
—Mark Price
april 23, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2026
Fort Lauderdale airport travelers may catch some vacation vibes at the sight of seven brightly colored bird sculptures that resemble large pool floats.
—Megan Vaz, Sun Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
On an average day, Curaçao’s eclectic energy animates the island, but this period is especially boisterous—filled with costumed performers, twinkling floats, an abundance of music and good-natured, family-friendly revelry.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Apr. 2026
Macy's influence stretched far beyond its parades The giant floating balloons, floats, and performers that Americans see on TV today have become perhaps the biggest promotion for the start of the holiday shopping season.
—Randy Tucker, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
There have been parades around Old City with patriotic floats.
—Joe Brandt, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Scream Queens vegan ice cream company will serve root beer floats and other food and coffee vendors also will be on hand.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2026
Carnival parades in Germany are famed for their floats mocking a wide variety of domestic and global political figures, and Putin has frequently been a target.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Trump floats cutting Congress spring break short as DHS shutdown hits 45 days.
—FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floats
Verb
-
But the hunter success rate for the spring season hovers around 30 percent.—
Alex Robinson,
Outdoor Life,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Around his head hovers a cluster of disembodied faces — creepy alt-Altmans, their expressions ranging from anger to open-mouthed woe.—
Cath Virginia,
The Verge,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the clip, Rodrigo wanders through the Palace of Versailles, running from room to room before strapping on a pink guitar and rocking out.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The 56-year-old Williams has since found his mind often wanders through hazes of grief to memories of Thomas.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Along Beach Street in the Bayview Beach subdivision, where homes line a narrow channel off the river, docks and boats have been flooded over.—
Christiana Freitag,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Guests can fish or crab off the hotel's docks or have a picnic on the lawn.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The boat sails from Genoa in complete darkness, a precaution against air raids.—
Marcy Thompson,
Scientific American,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The line sails year-round from Southern ports including Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Galveston, and New Orleans.—
Linnea Bailey,
Southern Living,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The five-person cast roams the room, sitting at various circular tables to blur the lines between script and improvisation.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
-
So this fox crossed an ocean to arrive in a borough where its own species already roams free.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Mar. 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
-
Meatloaf now swims in the aquarium’s sea turtle rehabilitation area, which opened in January.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The reigning Tri-Valley League MVP swims at Kingfish Swimming club.—
Tyler McManus,
Boston Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Set clear expectations and timelines so nothing drifts.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Mesa de Frades The traditional, melancholic music drifts through the streets of Alfama each evening, and gives guests a deeper understanding of the heart of the city.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Floats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floats. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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