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
Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
As of Tuesday, crude oil prices were hovering around $110 per barrel, according to Business Insider.
—Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Magnus had noticed that Ootes spent a lot of time hovering around his match, sometimes on his feet, sometimes sitting on one of the couches that faced Hans.
—Ben Mezrich, Vanity Fair, 6 Apr. 2026
Youth unemployment has remained in the mid-to-high double-digits for the last few years, despite the broader urban jobless rate hovering around 5%.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 6 Apr. 2026
Accounting majors, by comparison, are fielding steady demand, with entry-level salaries hovering around $80,000.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2026
Spent most nights hovering at the edge of consciousness, unwilling or unable to sink fully into sleep.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Apr. 2026
Kid Rock came under fire by the US Army after the musician shared a clip of what appeared to be military helicopters hovering above his Nashville residence.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
On Saturday, Kid Rock posted on his social media two videos of him pointing to and saluting two AH-64 Apache helicopters flying low and hovering adjacent to his swimming pool.
—Steven Beynon, ABC News, 30 Mar. 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
On platforms like PredictIt, traders have overwhelmingly favored Fuller, with confidence hovering near certainty levels in recent days.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
As of Tuesday, crude oil prices were hovering around $110 per barrel, according to Business Insider.
—Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Magnus had noticed that Ootes spent a lot of time hovering around his match, sometimes on his feet, sometimes sitting on one of the couches that faced Hans.
—Ben Mezrich, Vanity Fair, 6 Apr. 2026
Youth unemployment has remained in the mid-to-high double-digits for the last few years, despite the broader urban jobless rate hovering around 5%.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 6 Apr. 2026
Accounting majors, by comparison, are fielding steady demand, with entry-level salaries hovering around $80,000.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2026
Spent most nights hovering at the edge of consciousness, unwilling or unable to sink fully into sleep.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Apr. 2026
Kid Rock came under fire by the US Army after the musician shared a clip of what appeared to be military helicopters hovering above his Nashville residence.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
On Saturday, Kid Rock posted on his social media two videos of him pointing to and saluting two AH-64 Apache helicopters flying low and hovering adjacent to his swimming pool.
—Steven Beynon, ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hovering
Verb
-
Documents from Department of Environmental Protection noted, and smelled, floating fuel visible beneath the tanks.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Earlier in the day, Gunn took to social media to rebut an item from Deadline floating names that had allegedly tested for the role.—
Aaron Couch,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Apr. 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
-
Built in the Netherlands, sailing under the Liberian flag and operated by Germany’s Hammonia Reederei, the 441-foot ship docked at the Clure Public Marine Terminal to offload 33 pieces of cargo that will be transported overland to Alberta, Canada.—
Jay Gabler,
Twin Cities,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Three of the vessels were sailing under Iranian flags.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The notation was curiously quaint, dots and curly tails swimming along like so many tadpoles.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The person swimming in the lane next to mine was doing the breaststroke and hit me with her leg, under the lane rope, on two consecutive laps.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Conley noted that the car was drifting in its lane and had a license plate obscured.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Even college football is drifting toward a more fragmented, paywalled future.—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The trailer leans into the setting, too—offering a quick glimpse of Andy and Emily arriving by boat, gliding across the lake toward the villa’s grand facade.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Passengers experience a few minutes of weightlessness before gliding back to Earth.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Apr. 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 13 Apr. 2026.
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