1
as in to hover
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air
a canoe floating down the river particles of dust floating in the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to wander
to move about from place to place aimlessly
lost touch with a childhood friend who spent much of his adult life floating from place to place
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in dock
a structure used by boats and ships for taking on or landing cargo and passengers
the crew put the cargo on the float before heading back down the river
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of float
Jim Defede, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Despite that, reports and images have been circulated by local media of dead turtles, eels and fish washing up on Mexican beaches and floating near shorelines.
—Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 1 Apr. 2026
The company conducted the float-off of the UK Royal Navy’s second Inspiration-class (Type 31) frigate.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for float
Verb
The mayor never informed Leifman or County Commissioner Raquel Regalado, who was working with Leifman to get the center open, that there was another proposal floating around.
—Jim Defede, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Despite that, reports and images have been circulated by local media of dead turtles, eels and fish washing up on Mexican beaches and floating near shorelines.
—Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
Sculptor and illustrator Jacques Tilly, who designed the aforementioned float, has been reported to the police for disseminating hate speech and violating the Criminal Code, which prohibits the use of Nazi imagery for purposes not expressly linked to art, scholarship, teaching, or reporting.
—Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 1 Apr. 2026
The company conducted the float-off of the UK Royal Navy’s second Inspiration-class (Type 31) frigate.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for float
Recent Examples of Synonyms for float
Verb
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The bank expects oil prices will hover around $100 a barrel for the rest of the year – and could go even higher if the Strait of Hormuz’s closure continues to disrupt energy supplies.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2026
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Video from the rescue shows the helicopter descending near the Seneca River and then hovering over the water, where the dog is struggling to keep its head above the surface.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi Even if not a huge art buff, take the five minutes to wander to the Contarelli chapel inside this small catholic church which is just a short stroll from the Pantheon.—
CNT Editors,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
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At least one wolf wandered into parts of southern Jefferson County and western Douglas County in the last month, according to the Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In Connecticut, volunteers are needed to help cleanup the Long Wharf in New Haven at the canal dock boathouse.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
31 Mar. 2026
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The second modular part, the media dock, clicks down onto one of two USB-C ports on the top right or left side of the keyboard.—
Aubrey Jowers,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Valid for British Isles Explorer itineraries sailing in 2026 or 2027, or for another itinerary and extension of equal or lesser value—within the same stateroom category or lower—during the same period, if the itinerary and extension offered is not available.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
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Another bulk carrier, the Mac Hope, identifying itself as sailing under Chinese ownership and with a Chinese crew, also transited the strait on Monday, MarineTraffic data show.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Other tips include not leaving pet food outside, not touching or feeding free-roaming animals, keeping yard landscaping trimmed, keeping lids on trash containers, and closing home crawlspaces.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Dillon said the tortoise was still roaming the grounds of the governor's residence on the island best known as the place Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to following his defeat by the British at Waterloo in 1815.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Pan captured 243 photographs and 13 videos of payload-processing facilities, munitions bunkers, security checkpoints, mission-control centers, fuel and ordnance storage sites, and the nuclear submarine wharf.—
Adam Ciralsky,
Vanity Fair,
19 Mar. 2026
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The first responders arrived to find a vehicle submerged in about 10 feet of water just off the wharf parking lot.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Authorities also suggest swimming near a lifeguard station.—
Ted Scouten,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
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Last year, a couple of 2-year-old males returned to swim up the Sacramento River.—
Rachel Becker,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Wait a few hundred-thousand years, and another star will drift into our Oort cloud, perturbing it and potentially triggering new comets arriving in our inner Solar System.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
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Even college football is drifting toward a more fragmented, paywalled future.—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Float.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/float. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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