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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hovers
Total annual volume hovers around $4 billion, industry sources estimate.
—
David Moin, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
Its landmark suspension bridge, once a cattle-drive crossing on the Chisholm Trail, still hovers over the Brazos River as an echo of the city’s 19th-century frontier heritage.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
From outside the box, that probability hovers at around five per cent, not too dissimilar from the likelihood implied by the xG of a shot from that range.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
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
David Moin, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
Its landmark suspension bridge, once a cattle-drive crossing on the Chisholm Trail, still hovers over the Brazos River as an echo of the city’s 19th-century frontier heritage.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
From outside the box, that probability hovers at around five per cent, not too dissimilar from the likelihood implied by the xG of a shot from that range.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hovers
Verb
-
Strands of endoplasmic reticulum encircle a nucleus that floats in the center like a raft.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Without gravity pulling downward, the brain floats in the skull and experiences various forces from the surrounding soft tissues and the skull itself.—
Rachael Seidler,
The Conversation,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The company sails out of 22 ports across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.—
Lorraine Mirabella,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Star Princess sails around the Caribbean and Alaska, both of which are exceptional choices for romantic sailings.—
Megan duBois,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In this image made from video and released by the University of Western Australia, a sleeper shark swims into the spotlight of a video camera in Antarctica in January 2025.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
While the Louisville area is home to dozens of establishments serving a similar item, George said his version swims to the top in part because of large portion sizes.—
Amanda Hancock,
Louisville Courier Journal,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There’s a reason curlers sweep as the stone glides across the ice in search of the house — or, better yet, the button.—
Keith McMillan,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
The film tells the story 21-year-old Junyang, who drifts through life while his father quietly struggles to hold their modest home together.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Kelly’s mid-30s John drifts through life, straining against his mother Jackie Onassis’s expectations while inhabiting a world that’s so clearly his own personal oyster farm.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hovers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hovers. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
