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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hovering
New Atlas, 20 Feb. 2026
Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Today, with Apple’s market cap hovering around $4 trillion, that 10% stake could theoretically be worth more than $400 billion.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2026
As of Monday, crude oil prices were hovering around $101 per barrel, according to Business Insider.
—Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Democrats face an optimistic midterm outlook based on historical patterns showing the party out of power gains substantial House seats and Trump’s approval rating hovering around 40%, well below the 50% threshold that portends political trouble for a president’s party.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Nestled in the thick jungle, my suite loomed over the edge of a cliff, hovering above the region’s largest swimmable beach.
—Alisha Prakash, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2026
Sentiment is hovering just below levels seen in June 2022, when inflation hit a four-decade high.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
High tide gives you the ethereal, hovering-on-water moment that dominates travel feeds.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
States like Alaska, Maryland, California and New Jersey are not far behind, all hovering around or above the $300,000 mark.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
This is surprising for something that is supposed to require less hovering, especially if the host is out of hearing range of the device's alerts.
—New Atlas, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
With interest rates hovering above 20% on many cards, carrying a balance even for a few months can quickly snowball.
—Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Today, with Apple’s market cap hovering around $4 trillion, that 10% stake could theoretically be worth more than $400 billion.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2026
As of Monday, crude oil prices were hovering around $101 per barrel, according to Business Insider.
—Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Democrats face an optimistic midterm outlook based on historical patterns showing the party out of power gains substantial House seats and Trump’s approval rating hovering around 40%, well below the 50% threshold that portends political trouble for a president’s party.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Nestled in the thick jungle, my suite loomed over the edge of a cliff, hovering above the region’s largest swimmable beach.
—Alisha Prakash, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2026
Sentiment is hovering just below levels seen in June 2022, when inflation hit a four-decade high.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
High tide gives you the ethereal, hovering-on-water moment that dominates travel feeds.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
States like Alaska, Maryland, California and New Jersey are not far behind, all hovering around or above the $300,000 mark.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hovering
Verb
-
Some disc golf discs have extra features that can range from being glow-in-the-dark to floating when landing in water.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
-
China has continued to purchase Iranian oil during the conflict, analysts say, still importing well over a million barrels per day last month – drawing down stock from floating storage already in Asia and unaffected by the US naval blockade of Hormuz.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Opt for bigger hanging bulbs, discrete flickers, or even hanging sheaths.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
3 Apr. 2026
-
To maintain the immersive illusion, Iñárritu eschewed traditional hanging fabric.—
Robert Lang,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The ban will affect passengers sailing on Utopia of the Seas, which visits Nassau on Tuesday, plus Oasis of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas in port at CocoCay.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
-
At the time of publication, the ship is sailing on a three- to four-day journey that began the evening of May 6 from Cape Verde to the Canary Islands, where Spanish authorities have agreed to assist the imperiled vessel.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
In addition, the action includes top-tier spider combat and awesome web-slinging and web-gliding traversal abilities.—
George Yang,
PC Magazine,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
State and federal authorities are investigating after a man was captured on video in Hawaii throwing a rock toward an endangered Hawaiian monk seal swimming off the coast of Lahaina, Maui.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
-
This spring, biologists saw 77 fish swimming around in the hole.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Walking too spread out, stopping short, or drifting without direction creates instant friction.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
2 May 2026
-
Arsenal went on a brilliant run in the autumn, winning 10 games in a row while City were drifting.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
So my oldest, Richard, is super poised and has always sort of been the rock for our family.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Jones has played so well and has looked so poised, and the team has done such a solid job with him at the controls that there has been talk lately about a possible quarterback controversy brewing in the Bay Area.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hovering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hovering. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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