glides

verb

present tense third-person singular of glide
1
as in flows
to move or proceed smoothly and readily looking for a college course that he could just glide through

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in flies
to move through the air with or as if with outstretched wings a kite gliding on the autumn breeze

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in hovers
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air water striders gliding along the surface of the brook

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 glides In any case, the scheme shaping the film’s stakes is introduced from the get-go, in a sultry opening credits scene where the camera glides over curly telephone cords and grasping hands in close-up. — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 11 July 2026 As the Coast Starlight approaches the Bay Area, the train glides past marshlands, open water, and distant city skylines before continuing toward California’s Central Coast. — Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 4 July 2026 After release from an aircraft, the wings deploy and the bomb glides tens of miles to its target using satellite navigation and inertial guidance. — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Between capitals, the ship glides through Austria’s wine country, with family winery visits and Melk Abbey structuring the scenic stretches. — Condé Nast Traveler, 25 June 2026 The body then glides over the top of the windshield and starts flipping through the air over the roof. — Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 18 June 2026 Directed by Child and filmed in Whack’s hometown of Philadelphia, the song’s black-and-white visuals transform familiar city streets into a monochrome maze where Whack glides through scenes with the oozing confidence of someone ready to reclaim her narrative. — Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2026 Intensify your eyes with the creamy, 24-Hour Waterproof Eyeliner, which glides on smooth for all-day to all-night wear. — ABC News, 16 June 2026 For the most part, our world glides silently through space, shielded by Earth’s thin atmosphere. — Shawn Laatsch, The Conversation, 15 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for glides
  1. flows
  2. flies
  3. hovers
  4. drifts
  5. floats
  6. sails
  7. cruises
  8. soars
Verb
  • Air flows clockwise around these domes, but until now, none of them have been in quite the right spot to drag Canadian smoke south.
    — Dakota Smith, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
  • The Madison River originates inside Yellowstone National Park and flows 183 miles north through southwest Montana, flanked by the Madison Range, the Gravelly Mountains, and the Tobacco Root Mountains.
    — Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2026
Definition of flows
Verb
  • Having a great chill day on a Miami vacation, and then boom, my hat flies, my coffee goes all over me.
    — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2026
  • Eighty miles from New Orleans as the pelican flies, but so much longer by boat.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
Definition of flies
Verb
  • Ajayi, who hovers at 6-foot-7 and weighs 228-pounds, is a massive specimen who can defend multiple positions.
    — Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026
  • The state wants each town to have at least 10% of its housing stock qualify as affordable; Avon currently hovers a little above 4%.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 17 July 2026
Definition of hovers
Verb
  • The noise of heavy machinery drifts up into the still morning air.
    — Jesse Ashlock, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2026
  • Light moves But the show’s action drifts beyond that focal point, up to the main plaza level, especially in its lighting.
    — Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 July 2026
Definition of drifts
Verb
  • On April 24, a 54-year-old male had a cardiac emergency on the attraction, a gentle boat ride that floats by scenes featuring cheerful puppets.
    — Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026
  • Nolan floats a convincing psychological reason why this Odysseus subconsciously believes his duplicitous actions during the war deserve permanent exile from civilization.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of floats
Verb
  • Victory Cruise Lines, which sails on the Great Lakes, says 2026 bookings are up more than 20 percent for itineraries such as a 10-night trip that sails on all five Great Lakes.
    — Jane Wooldridge, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026
  • Star of the Seas still sails out of Port Canaveral, housing guests on what is tied for the title of world’s largest cruise ship.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 June 2026
Definition of sails
Verb
  • Traveling such vast distances between our solar system's most remote objects means New Horizons often cruises for months at a time with little to do other than passively collect data.
    — Brett Tingley, Space.com, 8 July 2026
  • The third main character, a livestreamer named Jake Deal, cruises the night looking for chaos while narrating to his audience.
    — Carolyn Kellogg, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Definition of cruises
Verb
  • Within seconds, cheers echo across the mountain valley as a vehicle soars through the sky before plummeting down below.
    — Carmela Asmar, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • Last to note, Jupiter, our planet of expansion, soars into the kingdom of Leo from June 30 until July 26, 2027.
    — Kyle Thomas, PEOPLE, 28 June 2026
Definition of soars

Browse Nearby Words

gliders
glides
gliding
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Glides.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/glides. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on glides

Nglish: Translation of glides for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of raffish

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All