floats 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of float
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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2

floats

2 of 2

noun

plural of float
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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of floats
Verb
Reader Heather Fargo wrote in with a number of suggestions for dining outdoors in North and South Natomas, such as Bella Bru, CharQterie, Helic Bistro, Mezcal Grill, El Bramido and The Virgin Sturgeon, which floats on the Sacramento River. Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 10 June 2026 From yoga sessions and floats to pop-up events and performances, Pride is still all around Boise and the Treasure Valley this June. Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 10 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 The big question is where retail investors will find the money to fund the IPO floats and whether other parts of the market will suffer as a result. Tobias Burns, CNBC, 10 June 2026 An egg that floats to the top is not fresh and could be spoiled. Michelle Darrisaw, Southern Living, 10 June 2026 The music floats into the night, mingling with the scent of the food trucks still serving here and there. Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 7 June 2026 So, the lone electron just floats on the surface. ArsTechnica, 3 June 2026 Elon Musk reportedly floats SpaceX, Tesla merger Elon Musk has reportedly discussed merging SpaceX with Tesla, a deal that would give the world’s richest person even more control over his sprawling tech empire. semafor.com, 29 May 2026
Noun
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 Fans were clacking and music was bumping as floats, cars and dancers filled Broadway Boulevard. Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 6 June 2026 With time, more people started celebrating Pride, and the march turned into more of a celebratory parade with floats, music, costumes, and parties. Allison Hope, Parents, 3 June 2026 Haunted Mansion props on the parade floats will include the conservatory casket, cryptic gravestones, gargoyle candleholders, haunted armor and stretching room portraits, according to the concept art. Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 2 June 2026 It’s made of durable, rust-resistant resin, is lockable and scratch resistant, and easily accommodates pool floats, chair cushions, and more. Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 June 2026 For summer's unofficial fizzy drink, order a round of floats at the Root Beer Barrel. Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 2 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
  • My itinerary with Victory – which also sails along the East Coast and in the Canadian Maritimes – lasted nine nights from Chicago to Toronto.
    Nathan Diller, USA Today, 1 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

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Cite this Entry

“Floats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floats. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.

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