as in floats
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 hovers
The Lilith Society becomes an escape, particularly as the legacy of McCarthyism hovers over the city.
—
Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
Chicago's waste diversion rate – the amount of garbage being recycled instead of dumped in landfills – hovers around 10%.
—Tara Molina, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
And the upside to cheaper cars becomes harder to ignore as the average sticker price for a new car in America hovers around a staggering $50,000.
—Patrick George, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
As your ferry glides toward Sausalito, Alcatraz hovers mid-bay—and once ashore, settle in with a glass of wine at Barrel House Tavern.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The pain suffered by the son hovers like a dark spot, giant yet shape-shifting—and never quite revealing itself.
—Dan Sheehan, Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
Northwestern’s endowment hovers around $14 billion.
—Andy Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Dellos, the shelter's manager, said the waitlist hovers around 200 people.
—Aaron Bolton, NPR, 6 Jan. 2026
My phone screen time hovers around three hours on average, sometimes more.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2026
Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
Chicago's waste diversion rate – the amount of garbage being recycled instead of dumped in landfills – hovers around 10%.
—Tara Molina, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
And the upside to cheaper cars becomes harder to ignore as the average sticker price for a new car in America hovers around a staggering $50,000.
—Patrick George, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
As your ferry glides toward Sausalito, Alcatraz hovers mid-bay—and once ashore, settle in with a glass of wine at Barrel House Tavern.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The pain suffered by the son hovers like a dark spot, giant yet shape-shifting—and never quite revealing itself.
—Dan Sheehan, Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
Northwestern’s endowment hovers around $14 billion.
—Andy Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Dellos, the shelter's manager, said the waitlist hovers around 200 people.
—Aaron Bolton, NPR, 6 Jan. 2026
My phone screen time hovers around three hours on average, sometimes more.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hovers
Verb
-
Tucked on a hillside in the Rustic Canyon neighborhood, the house floats above a natural spring that flows through the property, resting on six concrete columns sunk 30 feet into the ground.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
-
An invisible ocean floats above our heads, so why not tap into it, literally?—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Star Breeze sails year-round in French Polynesia, with voyages departing almost every week, according to the cruise line’s website.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Where National Geographic Endurance Sails Endurance often sails in icy waters, including those in the Arctic and around Antarctica, South Georgia, and the Falkland Islands.—
Kristen E. Pope,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Steve Niese swims in Coney Island year-round and did describe the great benefits of cold water plunging in an article of a major newspaper.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Today, that turtle swims with three flippers in the new 4,000-gallon rehabilitation pool.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
As the camera glides in and around a roller-skating rink, where much of the action takes place, Decker and Shlesinger achieve and sustain a terrific balance of comic velocity and erotic languor.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
31 Jan. 2026
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In preparation for her masquerade ball, Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) glides through Bridgerton House, overseeing her staff and eagerly awaiting the return of her daughters, Francesca (Hannah Dodd) and Eloise (Claudia Jesse), from Scotland.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
How the room softens, how people exhale, how laughter drifts back in and the air feels lighter.—
Adrianne Wright,
Washington Post,
2 Feb. 2026
-
As evening falls, the crowd drifts downtown to the Blue Moon Saloon, a honky-tonk that resembles a back porch more than a concert venue.—
Phil Thomas,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hovers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hovers. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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