as in afloat
riding upon the surface of a body of liquid
the wreckage remained floating for hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in hovering
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wandering
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of floating
Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2023
This tablet also comes with a full-sized floating keyboard that resembles Apple’s iPad Air and Pro Magic Keyboard.
—Patrick Moorhead, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2023
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
Years of insults and diss tracks and pranks and social media posts have followed, with small islands of peace floating by from time to time.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for floating
Adjective
The United States shot down three more floating objects in the following days, then announced that there was no sign that any of them were connected to China.
—Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2023
This tablet also comes with a full-sized floating keyboard that resembles Apple’s iPad Air and Pro Magic Keyboard.
—Patrick Moorhead, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2023
Verb
Luminara is also the first commercial super yacht that features an Aquabana—an inflatable floating lounge that transforms the Mediterranean into a private swim club.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
Years of insults and diss tracks and pranks and social media posts have followed, with small islands of peace floating by from time to time.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for floating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floating
Adjective
-
The resulting funding gap meant Edwards and his leadership team had to get creative in order to keep the organization afloat.—
Natalie Wallington,
MLK50,
3 Feb. 2026
-
As result, consumers hoard their money instead of spending it, forcing businesses to trim wages, staff and prices to remain afloat.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Home sales hovering at around $300,000 at the beginning of 2020 climbed to about $500,000 by spring 2022, the real estate data showed.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Despite rates hovering above 6% since September 2022, life goes on.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the legislation kept that data hidden from public view, so agencies can hire wandering cops in secret – and small-town budgets create a powerful incentive to do so.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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Doctors are not a flock of free-range chickens wandering about offices and hospitals and making up best practices, one clinician at the time.—
Robert M. Califf,
STAT,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This aerial view shows the Taiwanese cargo ship Yang Ming sailing out of the Panama Canal on the Pacific side in Panama City on October 6, 2025.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
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Later research, using records from the International Maritime Organization, showed that of the 204 reports of piracy and armed robbery worldwide in 2017, only three occurred in the region where Dad was sailing.—
Emilee Coblentz,
Outside,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cathy might be as uninhibited as Heathcliff when roaming the outdoors, but a woman of her status can’t be allowed to marry a foundling, especially one who now works for her family as a servant.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
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Today, it’s believed that roughly 60 or more wolves are roaming the Golden State.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The flavor was overwhelmingly oversized, proving that few things look as luxurious as swimming around in a gigantic khaki coat.—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
4 Feb. 2026
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Tracking tags used by OCEARCH have revealed white sharks use the East Coast like a highway in the winter, swimming from Canada to warmer waters off Florida.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Bitcoin was hanging just below $71,000 after drifting above the level during the weekend.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Instead of drifting away, those pollutants and smells are concentrating right in your neighborhood.—
Ahmad Bajjey,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In his final home start of the season, on Labor Day, the Giants scored six runs on Dollander in five innings, cruising to an 8-2 win.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
6 Feb. 2026
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That the two companies use the Orient Express name is a source of confusion Barletta has aimed to untangle through his train cruising model.—
Adam Erace,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Floating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floating. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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