1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

hover

verb

ˈhə-vər How to pronounce hover (audio)
Definition of hovernext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 hover My fork hovered aimlessly over the plate while my eyes stayed fixed on the entrance. — Mayur Chauhan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026 In March, for example, Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, which houses long-range B-52 bombers, went into lockdown after numerous unauthorized drones were spotted hovering over sensitive areas of the base. — Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026 Unlike other shows, the prices never dropped closer to showtime, with the lowest hovering around $300-$400 in the last hour. — Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 3 Sep. 2026 Video captured from the drone’s perspective and released on Facebook, shows the frustrated bobcat standing by a staircase, growling and arching its back at the hovering machine. — Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hover
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hover
  1. float
  2. sail
  3. swim
  4. glide
  5. drift
Verb
  • White flamingos and red-footed falcons floated above the lagoon, framed by a long strip of dune and beach.
    — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Failla is adding in some floating rate exposure, such as bank loans and collateralized loan obligations.
    — Michelle Fox, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of float
Verb
  • And a 26-year-old naturalist named Charles Darwin arrived aboard the British Royal Navy ship HMS Beagle, which had sailed from England nearly four years earlier on a mission to chart South America.
    — Michele Metych Britannica Editors Sep. 14, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The onslaught effectively forced the container shipping industry to avoid the Suez Canal altogether, with ocean carriers instead opting to sail a longer route around southern Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of sail
Verb
  • The fish folds its body, trying to turn or swim, the water nudging overtop.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Those fishing off the Malibu Pier were surprised in mid-August by a hammerhead shark swimming nearby.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of swim
Verb
  • Metromover right outside to glide over to the Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) or the Frost Museum of Science in downtown.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026
  • JoJo, Messing and Newport quickly whipped out their phones to capture videos of the models gliding down the runway and posing right in front of them before continuing their trek around Cipriani in downtown Manhattan.
    — Anika Reed, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of glide
Verb
  • Our low, bargelike vessel drifts serenely, unhurriedly along the brown river.
    — Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026
  • So why did reporters drift in waves to his locker after the game at Arrowhead Stadium?
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of drift

Phrases Containing hover

Browse Nearby Words

hovels
hover
hovercraft
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hover.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hover. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
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
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All