as in hovered
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air
a feather wafted past us and settled on the grass
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Recent Examples of wafted
On the ground floor, the smell of buttery pastries wafted from a test kitchen packed with students.
—
Natalie B. Compton, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2026
On Thursday morning, thousands of visitors and over 100 gallerists representing 24 countries wafted into the maze that is Frieze at the Santa Monica Airport and transformed the space into a winding runway.
—Tyler Matthew Oyer
feb. 27, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
As David Miranda huddled in his Airbnb in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, the smell of smoke wafted through the window.
—Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
Several former employees described to me the sour, slightly dizzying odor that wafted from their boss as early as ten in the morning.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Police tape cordoned off the building; a small stream of smoke wafted from the charred roof of the facility.
—Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Hope still wafted through the 104,122 in attendance, especially after Reed drove the team downfield to brink of overtime, only to come up short on a touch pass the Hurricanes read well.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 21 Dec. 2025
The sulfurous scent of hell wafted on the sea breeze.
—Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
The smell of rice cooking wafted through the house.
—Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
Natalie B. Compton, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2026
On Thursday morning, thousands of visitors and over 100 gallerists representing 24 countries wafted into the maze that is Frieze at the Santa Monica Airport and transformed the space into a winding runway.
—Tyler Matthew Oyer
feb. 27, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
As David Miranda huddled in his Airbnb in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, the smell of smoke wafted through the window.
—Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
Several former employees described to me the sour, slightly dizzying odor that wafted from their boss as early as ten in the morning.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Police tape cordoned off the building; a small stream of smoke wafted from the charred roof of the facility.
—Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Hope still wafted through the 104,122 in attendance, especially after Reed drove the team downfield to brink of overtime, only to come up short on a touch pass the Hurricanes read well.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 21 Dec. 2025
The sulfurous scent of hell wafted on the sea breeze.
—Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
The smell of rice cooking wafted through the house.
—Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wafted
Verb
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For months, the threat of artificial intelligence (AI) replacing human workers has hovered over the American economy like a distant storm.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
28 Feb. 2026
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That is a real step back for a player who has hovered around the 70-point mark in each of the past four years.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Footage also captured a parachute deploying as at least one crew member floated toward the ground.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Mar. 2026
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Drew Angerer / Getty Images file For months, school officials have floated proposals to relocate or close at least four middle schools on the Upper West Side, citing low enrollment, funding squeezes, academic performance and compliance with a 2022 law requiring class-size reductions by 2028.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Over the course of just one minute, the gunman sailed down the city’s bustling Sixth Street and then exited his car, firing off even more bullets, ultimately killing three people and injuring 13 others before he was fatally shot by police.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
-
For now, the diplomatic ship appears to have sailed.—
Javed Ali,
Fortune,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As cruise line staff took her back to her room in the wheelchair, the woman drifted in and out of consciousness, the complaint said.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Feb. 2026
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Billowing, acrid-smelling black clouds drifted over the turquoise waters of Banderas Bay.—
Mary Beth Sheridan,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wafted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wafted. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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