as in to float
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air
claimed that the UFO hovered a moment, then spun off into space at incredible speed
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Recent Examples of hover
Lily Allen's super-short bob hits higher than most with a straight-across cut that falls at her ear lobes and bangs that hover right above her eyebrows.
—
Elise Tabin, InStyle, 14 Jan. 2026
This vaccine is administered orally and has had a relatively high uptake—vaccination rates have hovered between about 70 percent and 75 percent since the 2010s.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 14 Jan. 2026
Earth’s average temperature last year hovered among one of the three hottest on record, while the past three years indicate that warming could be speeding up, international climate monitoring teams reported.
—Dallas Morning News, 14 Jan. 2026
In the United States, cervical cancer is most often diagnosed between ages 35 and 44, with the average age at diagnosis hovering around 50.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hover
Elise Tabin, InStyle, 14 Jan. 2026
This vaccine is administered orally and has had a relatively high uptake—vaccination rates have hovered between about 70 percent and 75 percent since the 2010s.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 14 Jan. 2026
Earth’s average temperature last year hovered among one of the three hottest on record, while the past three years indicate that warming could be speeding up, international climate monitoring teams reported.
—Dallas Morning News, 14 Jan. 2026
In the United States, cervical cancer is most often diagnosed between ages 35 and 44, with the average age at diagnosis hovering around 50.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hover
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hover
Verb
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The committee floated a proposal to implement new requirements for where these businesses can be built in relation to each other, and to strengthen pre-existing requirements.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Jan. 2026
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His administration is also buying housing bonds and floated the idea of a 50-year mortgage in an effort to bring down the cost of homeownership.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Since then more Russian and Chinese vessels have sailed the northern routes repeatedly.—
Tucker Reals,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
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McDaniels schemed a few targets that had receivers open but nonetheless fell incomplete (DeMario Douglas' drop in the third quarter, and an incompletion sailed wide to Rhamondre Stevenson in the second quarter).—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Kids will be wowed by the sharks swimming over their heads.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
13 Jan. 2026
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Both teams swim in their owns pools and the results are exchanged by FAX.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Snow rests lightly on branches and the occasional rain glides off dormant stems.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
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Afternoons here are deliciously drowsy, spent dozing in the shade, gently parting calm sea water, or gliding past craggy rock formations in a little motor-boat.—
Rosalyn Wikeley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Representation thins and drifts toward the extremes, and public confidence in Congress as an accountable institution erodes along with it.—
Duncan Hosie,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
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Saudi geopolitical researcher Salman Al-Ansari rejects claims that Riyadh is drifting ideologically or embracing Islamist movements, framing Saudi policy as interest-driven.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hover.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hover. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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