as in floated
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 hovered
A couple of lanky students from the Tandon School of Engineering hovered by the shelf, considering a box of disco balls up top.
—
Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
As for most of the tournament, Sinner’s first-serve percentage hovered around 50, and Auger-Aliassime took the initiative with flashing forehands and the bravery to go after his shots in baseline rallies.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
In addition to the newfound in-state rivalry, a sense of nostalgia hovered over pregame activities.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2025
My own double hovered before me.
—Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
That figure hovered just north of 2% in the most recently available data, representing a much smaller drop than the state and industry claim.
—ProPublica, 4 Sep. 2025
Dew points have hovered in the mid-60s, a sign of sticky conditions that could fuel downpours.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Spot gold hovered around $3,500 after surpassing that level earlier in the session for the first time ever.
—Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2025
Going further back, a sun disk hovered over the ancient Egyptian god Ra, and in Eastern religions a nimbus halo appeared over the Buddha and the Hindu deities.
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
As for most of the tournament, Sinner’s first-serve percentage hovered around 50, and Auger-Aliassime took the initiative with flashing forehands and the bravery to go after his shots in baseline rallies.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
In addition to the newfound in-state rivalry, a sense of nostalgia hovered over pregame activities.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2025
My own double hovered before me.
—Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
That figure hovered just north of 2% in the most recently available data, representing a much smaller drop than the state and industry claim.
—ProPublica, 4 Sep. 2025
Dew points have hovered in the mid-60s, a sign of sticky conditions that could fuel downpours.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Spot gold hovered around $3,500 after surpassing that level earlier in the session for the first time ever.
—Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2025
Going further back, a sun disk hovered over the ancient Egyptian god Ra, and in Eastern religions a nimbus halo appeared over the Buddha and the Hindu deities.
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hovered
Verb
-
That’s an enormous lever—but far smaller than the 10–40 trillion-tonne estimates that have floated around for years.—
Phil De Luna,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Purdy scrambled to his right and floated a ball toward backup tight end Jake Tonges in the back of the end zone.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
After leaving Tokyo, the aircraft carrier sailed north and was spotted transiting the Tsugaru Strait on Friday from the Pacific Ocean toward the Sea of Japan.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The game took an ugly turn for the Angels in the sixth, when reliever Brock Burke sailed a throw six feet over first baseman Oswald Peraza’s head on Thomas’s inning-opening comebacker, an error that led to an unearned run and a 9-1 A’s lead.—
Mike Digiovanna,
Oc Register,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Herald also found a pile of wet clothes, two children’s backpacks and food at the end of a street in Tavernier where the ocean meets the shore, suggesting the group swam to land and changed into dry clothing.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
-
One of the individuals swam under the boat and tried to flip it over to no avail.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After an earnings beat and a blistering 32% pop on July 30, the stock drifted lower for a month — a normal profit-taking after a vertical move.—
Nishant Pant,
CNBC,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The Baileys had drifted almost 1,500 miles, into the dead of summer, when they were rescued by a South Korean fishing boat on June 30, 1973.—
Susan Young,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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With a garland of white flowers in front of him, a lone rower kneeling in a wooden canoe glided toward the DuSable Bridge docks.—
William Tong,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Aug. 2025
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Wearing a green track jacket and pearls, Billie Jean King glided out from behind the bar.—
Emily Bloch,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hovered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hovered. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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