as in floating
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 hovering
semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Safe havens surge While stocks are hovering near record highs, a surge in gold and silver prices is signaling lingering concern about political and economic uncertainty.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
The stock closed up nearly 16% on Monday, but shares were recently down about 10% in Tuesday's session, hovering under $67 apiece.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025
Add in the potential of Zeev Buium adding a spark on the power play, and the chances of Kaprizov scoring upwards of 90 points seem like a pretty safe bet, especially with his contract situation no longer hovering over the Wild.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
These sausage bites are the appetizer that will keep crowds hovering around the buffet table.
—Mary Alice Russell, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2025
San Francisco finished 81-81 this year, hovering on the edge of playoff contention.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2025
The share of people over 55 who are employed is hovering around the lowest in four years.
—Michael Sasso, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025
There was no personality cult hovering over the anonymous articles of the Soviet Constitution and the Code of Criminal Procedure.
—Benjamin Nathans
september 24, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Crude is down 11% this year, with some analysts expecting prices, currently hovering above $60 a barrel, to dip into the low $50s as oversupply builds.
—semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Safe havens surge While stocks are hovering near record highs, a surge in gold and silver prices is signaling lingering concern about political and economic uncertainty.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
The stock closed up nearly 16% on Monday, but shares were recently down about 10% in Tuesday's session, hovering under $67 apiece.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025
Add in the potential of Zeev Buium adding a spark on the power play, and the chances of Kaprizov scoring upwards of 90 points seem like a pretty safe bet, especially with his contract situation no longer hovering over the Wild.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
These sausage bites are the appetizer that will keep crowds hovering around the buffet table.
—Mary Alice Russell, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2025
San Francisco finished 81-81 this year, hovering on the edge of playoff contention.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2025
The share of people over 55 who are employed is hovering around the lowest in four years.
—Michael Sasso, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025
There was no personality cult hovering over the anonymous articles of the Soviet Constitution and the Code of Criminal Procedure.
—Benjamin Nathans
september 24, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hovering
Verb
-
The art news website ArtNet even pointed out that the scene in season 3 of White Lotus in which Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Woods are floating dead in the water appears to invoke the Millais painting.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
3 Oct. 2025
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Republicans are floating ways to put income caps on the subsidies or limit the number of people who are eligible to receive them.—
Franco Ordoñez,
NPR,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Centuries ago, a fleet of Spanish ships laden with gold, silver and jewels taken from the New World was sailing back to Spain when a hurricane wrecked the flotilla on July 31, 1715, spilling the treasures into the sea, according to the 1715 Fleet Society.—
Kate Payne,
Fortune,
3 Oct. 2025
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Emerald Cruises & Tours follows the seasons by sailing Europe’s rivers when blossoms and vineyards are at their peak, and heading south for Caribbean warmth in the winter.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Of the other methods – including electrocution, lethal gas and hanging – lethal injection had the highest botch rate of more than 7%. ‘An embrace of brutality’ Still, states have remained averse to the firing squad, a position that experts who spoke to CNN believe stems from its overt violence.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN Money,
10 Apr. 2025
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The neutral material keeps it from looking like an eye sore and can be expanded for more hanging space as needed.—
Micaela Arnett,
Rolling Stone,
10 Jan. 2024
Verb
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Days are slower, spent reading, swimming in Lake Zurich or traveling with her partner to places like Brazil and Australia.—
Mike Winters
Tasia Jensen,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
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Preparation guidance from the NWS includes avoiding not just swimming, but also staying off piers and other shoreline structures that may be subject to unexpected waves or currents.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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With the game in danger of drifting, Zubimendi kept probing.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
-
The pajama set is crafted from deep red silk and printed with abstract nude figures — a motif inspired by bodies in motion and drifting smoke, as well as the photography of Arno Nobles.—
Hanna McNeila,
Footwear News,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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On third-and-11 in the first quarter, Iamaleava spotted a sliver of daylight that wasn’t there a blink before and turned it into a 22-yard jailbreak up the gut, gliding past white jerseys.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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The simplicity is intentional so your eye isn't bouncing, but rather gliding through the room.—
Kathy Barnes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Here was the postwar American housewife—neatly dressed, pretty, poised, active—stepping unwittingly into a scene of utter depravity and sadism that reflected back at this wholesome young mother the darkest recesses of the human mind.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Sep. 2025
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Wearing a sleeveless, moisture-wicking workout shirt suctioned to his imposing frame, Bowyer comes across as poised, calm — almost eerily so.—
DAVID AMSDEN,
Rolling Stone,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hovering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hovering. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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