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
Renan Botelho,
Footwear News,
29 June 2026
Powering oil operations with wind turbine A tension-leg platform (TLP) is a buoyant, floating structure moored to the seafloor by taut, vertical steel cables.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
29 June 2026
Nikki Dementri,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
These treats inspired by ice cream floats will be the talk of the party.
—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for float
Verb
Drones and water choreography, acrobats, and a floating pianist paired with over-the-top performances by Leona Lewis and opera singer Joseph Calleja transformed the night into a spectacle.
—
Renan Botelho,
Footwear News,
29 June 2026
Powering oil operations with wind turbine A tension-leg platform (TLP) is a buoyant, floating structure moored to the seafloor by taut, vertical steel cables.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
29 June 2026
Noun
Borrowing inspiration from the Rose Parade, the floats feature everything from silk flowers to coffee beans, crushed pine cones and cranberry seeds.
—
Nikki Dementri,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
These treats inspired by ice cream floats will be the talk of the party.
—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for float
Recent Examples of Synonyms for float
Verb
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Dark clouds hovered around the stadium just before kickoff, threatening to delay the start of the game, but Mother Nature apparently is a soccer fan, because the storm veered away.
-
Temperatures in the beach cities pleasantly hovered in the 70s, a stark contrast to East Coast communities broiling in a heat wave.
Verb
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Throughout the weekend, someone wandering around Mass MoCA’s campus might have caught excellent mainstage opening acts like Gang of Four (featuring Ted Leo on guitar) or the Breeders, representing two strains of Eighties and Nineties alt/punk rock.
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Most ticks are content to sit and wait for a meal to wander past; lone stars have no patience for that.
Noun
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Whistling and cheering, crowds gathered on the concrete dock below.
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The morgue that serves La Guaira is makeshift—a white tent on a dock lined with body bags and coffins.
Verb
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Facing no one but the goalkeeper, Moshobane sailed an uncontested shot from 18 yards over the top of the net.
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The ship was sailing an Alaska and Canada voyage round-trip from San Francisco, according to CruiseMapper.
Verb
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Visitors can hike trails and drive a scenic route through the colorful, rugged Badlands where bison and wild horses roam.
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The age of sail, when pirates like Johnny Depp’s fictional Jack Sparrow roamed the seven seas, ended about 200 years ago.
Noun
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Vanuatu has received large loans and aid from China for buildings, wharves and other infrastructure.
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The father wanted nets and the smell of the wharf.
Verb
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Authorities have warned people to take extra care when swimming in unsupervised areas, such as rivers or lakes, following the deaths of around 40 people in France over the past week.
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Dong also unsuccessfully tried to swim to a Taiwanese island.
Verb
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Yamal was a thorn in Saudi Arabia’s side, drifting infield to unleash shots from distance but also peppering the penalty area with wicked deliveries from the right flank.
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When those models drift or their assumptions fail, errors can scale rapidly.
Cite this Entry
“Float.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/float. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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