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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of floats
Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
But even with hundreds of objects, the show barely floats the question of how that chemistry operated, let alone explore it.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 26 Feb. 2026
In my new novel, set during the offseason in her sometime-lover’s family beach house, ‘lover girl’ floats from boy to boy, beach to city, and ultimately to Paris, searching for ever-elusive meaning, love, and inspiration.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Strands of endoplasmic reticulum encircle a nucleus that floats in the center like a raft.
—Quanta Magazine, 18 Feb. 2026
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
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
Sooji Nam, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Today, the parade includes more than 100 participants from floats to musical acts to antique cars and more.
—Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 1 Mar. 2026
Big fun will arrive in tiny packages at the eighth annual Dairy Block Petite Parade, which plays off Mardi Gras and features miniature floats built from a shoebox base, and pulled on wheels.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2026
The streets of downtown Mansfield will be filled with colorful floats, marching groups, entertainers and pickles.
—Alyson Rodriguez, Dallas Morning News, 23 Feb. 2026
The sound of the Arsenal fans’ celebrating blends with the pounding beat from the carnival floats.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
The event included marching bands, representatives from local businesses, cultural groups, entertainers, floats, Miss Chinatown and her court, and government officials.
—Staff Report, Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
For longer floats, nearby KP Hole Park offers VIP parking on weekends, which can be a game-changer.
—Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2026
Drumming echoed between storefronts as confetti poppers snapped and ornate floats rolled past.
—Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
Verb
The Garden District is one of those areas that floats between yesterday and tomorrow, where Greek- and Italianate-style homes adorned with ornate cast iron and sweeping verandas provide shade for people watching and respite from the commercial center.
—Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
But even with hundreds of objects, the show barely floats the question of how that chemistry operated, let alone explore it.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 26 Feb. 2026
In my new novel, set during the offseason in her sometime-lover’s family beach house, ‘lover girl’ floats from boy to boy, beach to city, and ultimately to Paris, searching for ever-elusive meaning, love, and inspiration.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Strands of endoplasmic reticulum encircle a nucleus that floats in the center like a raft.
—Quanta Magazine, 18 Feb. 2026
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
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
Noun
Despite these obstacles, Mufson is managing 16 shimmering floats where beautiful horses stand tall.
—Sooji Nam, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Today, the parade includes more than 100 participants from floats to musical acts to antique cars and more.
—Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 1 Mar. 2026
Big fun will arrive in tiny packages at the eighth annual Dairy Block Petite Parade, which plays off Mardi Gras and features miniature floats built from a shoebox base, and pulled on wheels.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2026
The streets of downtown Mansfield will be filled with colorful floats, marching groups, entertainers and pickles.
—Alyson Rodriguez, Dallas Morning News, 23 Feb. 2026
The sound of the Arsenal fans’ celebrating blends with the pounding beat from the carnival floats.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
The event included marching bands, representatives from local businesses, cultural groups, entertainers, floats, Miss Chinatown and her court, and government officials.
—Staff Report, Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
For longer floats, nearby KP Hole Park offers VIP parking on weekends, which can be a game-changer.
—Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2026
Drumming echoed between storefronts as confetti poppers snapped and ornate floats rolled past.
—Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floats
Verb
-
That door still hovers in my mind, the dark wood; dark, too, around the edges where light usually shone.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Today, that number hovers around 500.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The permit allows the ranchers to kill any wolf who wanders onto private land on two grazing allotments near the Gila National Forest in Catron County, as well as on federal land within the allotments, if the wolf is actively hurting livestock.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
26 Feb. 2026
-
In Virgil’s epic, Aeneas wanders after the fall of Troy, searching for a new homeland.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Their four properties have 450 boat slips combined with four gas docks, washrooms and showers, plus picnic spots for vacation getaways or weekend fun.—
Karie Angell Luc,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Its docks and alleys, its free Black communities and slave markets, its churches and street corners — this was the laboratory of his conscience.—
Jack Hill,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That often sails round-trip from Seattle or Vancouver with stops such as Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Two examples of these itineraries are Celebrity’s transatlantic sailing from Orlando, Florida, to Southampton, England (by way of Bermuda and Lisbon), and this 23-day transpacific journey aboard Windstar Cruises, which sails from Tokyo to Vancouver.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Brian McCann and Fredi Gonzalez are coaches, while Georgia boy Byron Buxton roams the outfield.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, an 84-year-old man who legally named himself Jesus Christ roams freely in his white dhoti, somehow weaving between the masses who bump into each other with alarming frequency.—
Mattha Busby,
Rolling Stone,
1 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
-
In this image made from video and released by the University of Western Australia, a sleeper shark swims into the spotlight of a video camera in Antarctica in January 2025.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
While the Louisville area is home to dozens of establishments serving a similar item, George said his version swims to the top in part because of large portion sizes.—
Amanda Hancock,
Louisville Courier Journal,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Someone drifts beyond their lane and doesn’t signal.—
Rose Evans
Updated March 3,
Idaho Statesman,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Conveniently, the stands chose Bassett, who has occupied a central role for Portland but also drifts wide from time to time.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Floats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floats. Accessed 8 Mar. 2026.
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