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
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
Yet the technology for wind power that floats is just emerging, and has never been attempted in waters as deep as the Pacific off Northern California.
—Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The result looks more like a VIP airport lounge than anything that floats.
—Omar Kardoudi
april 09, New Atlas, 9 Apr. 2026
If possible, throw them something that floats and never enter the water without a flotation device.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
Throw something that floats and call 9-1-1.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Their son, John, likes watching the games and their daughter, Kyla, likes the root beer floats on the weekends.
—Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
On the 16, a slender crescent moon appears to the lower right of Jupiter, while directly below the moon floats a third bright planet, Mercury.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 3 Apr. 2026
The animation is crisp and gorgeous, and there are a few moments of stylization — such as when the main character Coco floats in the air with her mentor Qifrey and the world around them fades from frame — that captures a taste of what makes the manga such a visual triumph.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026
Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 5 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
The floats were more incendiary still.
—Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 1 Apr. 2026
Watch processions of glowing pole lanterns at the Akita Kanto Festival, marvel at the colorful floats of the Aomori Nebuta Matsuri, and see Sendai explode with kaleidoscopic decorations during the Tanabata Festival.
—Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2026
Ice floats, and liquid water reaches its highest density at about 39 degrees Fahrenheit, causing colder, denser water to sink.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Mar. 2026
Millions of people had packed the streets of Cologne and Düsseldorf that week to drink beer and watch the floats pass by.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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
Yet the technology for wind power that floats is just emerging, and has never been attempted in waters as deep as the Pacific off Northern California.
—Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The result looks more like a VIP airport lounge than anything that floats.
—Omar Kardoudi
april 09, New Atlas, 9 Apr. 2026
If possible, throw them something that floats and never enter the water without a flotation device.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
Throw something that floats and call 9-1-1.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Their son, John, likes watching the games and their daughter, Kyla, likes the root beer floats on the weekends.
—Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
On the 16, a slender crescent moon appears to the lower right of Jupiter, while directly below the moon floats a third bright planet, Mercury.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 3 Apr. 2026
The animation is crisp and gorgeous, and there are a few moments of stylization — such as when the main character Coco floats in the air with her mentor Qifrey and the world around them fades from frame — that captures a taste of what makes the manga such a visual triumph.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
The root beer floats is confirmed in your text messages.
—Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 5 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
The floats were more incendiary still.
—Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 1 Apr. 2026
Watch processions of glowing pole lanterns at the Akita Kanto Festival, marvel at the colorful floats of the Aomori Nebuta Matsuri, and see Sendai explode with kaleidoscopic decorations during the Tanabata Festival.
—Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2026
Ice floats, and liquid water reaches its highest density at about 39 degrees Fahrenheit, causing colder, denser water to sink.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Mar. 2026
Millions of people had packed the streets of Cologne and Düsseldorf that week to drink beer and watch the floats pass by.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floats
Verb
-
On a warm Sunday afternoon, Shamim Popal hovers in the kitchen of her Middleburg, Virginia, home, making brunch for her family.—
Liam Scott,
Washington Post,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The average for 3-point shooting, pro and college, hovers around 35%.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Graham Potter wanders onto the pitch alone.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The next morning, Greg wanders across campus in his rumpled suit.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Two loading docks that previously housed trash dumpsters for the older building have been reclaimed as a visualization lab and a robotics lab.—
Edward Keegan,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Then there’s the literal rocking of docks and fishing boats, which causes disputes between different lake users.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Most tanker movement in the key Strait of Hormuz, where roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil typically sails past Iran’s coastline, remains at a halt.—
Camila Gomez,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Capasecca Yacht Another bespoke yachting experience, Capasecca — featuring four cabins that sleep up to eight guests — sails the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Ischia and Procida, backed by a family with generations of seafaring heritage.—
Elycia Rubin,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Mar. 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
-
Now the pair are filling the former Slab space with trout that swims in chive beurre blanc; burgers crowned with a range of French cheeses; and expertly made baguettes that receive smears of butter d’Isigny.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
-
When Blub swims in a particular direction, the camera detects the movement and sends the vehicle rolling that same way.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Wandering through the wash, the mind drifts not to the film but to the flash floods that move through this channel after heavy rains, sudden torrents cutting and reshaping the valley floor in a matter of hours.—
Josh Jackson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Written by Mescudi, Doe explores themes of addiction and survival through the lens of a man living on the streets of Hollywood who, over the course of 24 hours, drifts through a series of encounters that pull him in and out of the cycles of his compulsion.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Floats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floats. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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