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
One of the most important phenomena in high-altitude Sonoma vineyards is the inversion layer, the blanket of fog that hovers between 800 and 1,800 feet throughout many mornings of the growing season.
—
Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 28 Sep. 2025
No aura of ambiguity hovers over Catherine Leroy’s photographs.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2025
Baker inquires about the design of the hunchback and hovers his hand above her bulbous boils.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
The best part of all for us is that the public still sees insurers as stuffy pencil-pushers (the same type of outdated view that hovers over agriculture).
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Edith Wharton also hovers in the narrowing of female options as the years pass by.
—Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
Support for universal background checks usually hovers around 90 percent in public opinion polls.
—John J. Donohue, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
The homicide clearance rate is extraordinary for a city that hovers around 1 million residents.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025
Today’s commercial planes spend most of their time at 30,000 feet (or more) where the temperature hovers around -40 degrees Fahrenheit, and temps as low as -70 degrees aren’t unheard of.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 23 Aug. 2025
Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 28 Sep. 2025
No aura of ambiguity hovers over Catherine Leroy’s photographs.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2025
Baker inquires about the design of the hunchback and hovers his hand above her bulbous boils.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
The best part of all for us is that the public still sees insurers as stuffy pencil-pushers (the same type of outdated view that hovers over agriculture).
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Edith Wharton also hovers in the narrowing of female options as the years pass by.
—Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
Support for universal background checks usually hovers around 90 percent in public opinion polls.
—John J. Donohue, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
The homicide clearance rate is extraordinary for a city that hovers around 1 million residents.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025
Today’s commercial planes spend most of their time at 30,000 feet (or more) where the temperature hovers around -40 degrees Fahrenheit, and temps as low as -70 degrees aren’t unheard of.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hovers
Verb
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Dunk the ends of a lock of your hair in a cup of water (or take a bath, any excuse), and see if your hair floats, sinks, or stays somewhere in the middle.—
Talia Gutierrez,
Glamour,
30 Sep. 2025
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The living room is anchored by a fireplace; the library’s floor-to-ceiling bookshelves speak to Ertegun’s love of arts and culture; an all-white kitchen has a span of butcher block counters as its only color; and the top-floor primary bedroom floats high above the landscape.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Royal Caribbean sails itineraries to 270-plus destinations in 60-plus countries on six continents.—
Jessica Peralta,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
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Researchers know about the wrecks because reporting any commercial ship that sails on the lakes is required; from the early 19th century to the 20th century, about 40,000 ships sailed the Great Lakes, Baillod said.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN Money,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The only drama so far is Nicolle swims up to Mel, hangs off his neck, and starts making out with him.—
Ali Barthwell,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
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This is all but confirmed when Laura swims in a nearby pond and discovers her parents' missing car.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The spacecraft ignites its onboard rocket motor, powering its own way to suborbital space, then glides back down for a runway landing here on Earth.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
23 Sep. 2025
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There is a First World War U-boat that somehow glides from underneath Lake Michigan all the way to Croatia, commandeered by its captain, post-Armistice, for new and clandestine uses.—
Kathryn Schulz,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Still, Nevo's mind often drifts to the moment in Gaza when Palestinian militants detonated explosives in a home, wounding him and killing two close friends in his army unit.—
Daniel Estrin,
NPR,
29 Sep. 2025
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If Humberto drifts east and the jet stream’s influence dominates, the future Imelda could be drawn into the Southeast coast.—
Chris Dolce,
CNN Money,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hovers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hovers. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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