1
as in hovers
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 wanders
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 docks
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of floats
Rachael Seidler, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2026
This neutral running shoe has a slim, knitted tongue that floats over the top of your feet, locking them in without applying uncomfortable pressure.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
On top of all this tech floats a layer of lag.
—Jason Fried, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
McCollough’s take on a Queen Anne’s cabinet floats magically in a corner (open the doors for a surprise).
—Grace Edquist, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2026
James Provost In practical terms, this shouldn’t create any noticeable interference, given that this transmitter puts out milliwatts at most and floats miles away from the nearest receiver.
—IEEE Spectrum, 31 Jan. 2026
Tucked on a hillside in the Rustic Canyon neighborhood, the house floats above a natural spring that flows through the property, resting on six concrete columns sunk 30 feet into the ground.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
An invisible ocean floats above our heads, so why not tap into it, literally?
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Amid the cold marble, dull plaster and dark wood that make up the austere halls of justice at the Porter County Courthouse, an oasis of calm and comfort now floats on the fifth floor in what is believed to be the first victim assistance suite of its kind in the state.
—Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 4 Feb. 2026
Stories involving a sitar, a surfboard, several root beer floats and a bride-to-be.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
More than 100 parade units are expected to participate in the 2026 celebration, including Irish dance performances, live music, floats and more.
—Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 30 Jan. 2026
For pure spectacle, Mardi Gras World reveals how the city’s legendary floats come alive; Vue Orleans delivers 360-degree views and smart interactive storytelling; and New Orleans Secrets tours takes you inside haunted buildings after dark for a paranormal experience with real atmospheric bite.
—Sophie Morgan, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Jan. 2026
In Manhattan, a celery root ice cream floats in a briny celeriac soda at Smithereens, and at Echelon in Ann Arbor, Michigan, savory corn ice cream gets topped with a glistening dollop of caviar.
—Charlie Kolodziej, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Jan. 2026
Expect to see colorful parade floats, bands and drill teams in the Oak Cliff neighborhood.
—Alyson Rodriguez, Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
The parade also includes marching bands, floats, farm equipment and, of course, cowgirls and cowboys.
—The Know, Denver Post, 22 Jan. 2026
Many groups had decorated floats and carried banners with messages of unity and service.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, AZCentral.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Verb
Without gravity pulling downward, the brain floats in the skull and experiences various forces from the surrounding soft tissues and the skull itself.
—Rachael Seidler, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2026
This neutral running shoe has a slim, knitted tongue that floats over the top of your feet, locking them in without applying uncomfortable pressure.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
On top of all this tech floats a layer of lag.
—Jason Fried, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
McCollough’s take on a Queen Anne’s cabinet floats magically in a corner (open the doors for a surprise).
—Grace Edquist, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2026
James Provost In practical terms, this shouldn’t create any noticeable interference, given that this transmitter puts out milliwatts at most and floats miles away from the nearest receiver.
—IEEE Spectrum, 31 Jan. 2026
Tucked on a hillside in the Rustic Canyon neighborhood, the house floats above a natural spring that flows through the property, resting on six concrete columns sunk 30 feet into the ground.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
An invisible ocean floats above our heads, so why not tap into it, literally?
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Amid the cold marble, dull plaster and dark wood that make up the austere halls of justice at the Porter County Courthouse, an oasis of calm and comfort now floats on the fifth floor in what is believed to be the first victim assistance suite of its kind in the state.
—Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
Build and arrange three toy floats and 18 LEGO minifigures—from musicians to performers.
—Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 4 Feb. 2026
Stories involving a sitar, a surfboard, several root beer floats and a bride-to-be.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
More than 100 parade units are expected to participate in the 2026 celebration, including Irish dance performances, live music, floats and more.
—Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 30 Jan. 2026
For pure spectacle, Mardi Gras World reveals how the city’s legendary floats come alive; Vue Orleans delivers 360-degree views and smart interactive storytelling; and New Orleans Secrets tours takes you inside haunted buildings after dark for a paranormal experience with real atmospheric bite.
—Sophie Morgan, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Jan. 2026
In Manhattan, a celery root ice cream floats in a briny celeriac soda at Smithereens, and at Echelon in Ann Arbor, Michigan, savory corn ice cream gets topped with a glistening dollop of caviar.
—Charlie Kolodziej, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Jan. 2026
Expect to see colorful parade floats, bands and drill teams in the Oak Cliff neighborhood.
—Alyson Rodriguez, Dallas Morning News, 23 Jan. 2026
The parade also includes marching bands, floats, farm equipment and, of course, cowgirls and cowboys.
—The Know, Denver Post, 22 Jan. 2026
Many groups had decorated floats and carried banners with messages of unity and service.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, AZCentral.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floats
Verb
-
From outside the box, that probability hovers at around five per cent, not too dissimilar from the likelihood implied by the xG of a shot from that range.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The Lilith Society becomes an escape, particularly as the legacy of McCarthyism hovers over the city.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When Elizabeth wanders down below and sees the Creature, the two are mesmerized by one another.—
Jenelle Riley,
Variety,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Where is that strange, clueless child who wanders from cause to cause, Greta Thunberg?—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Given the lack of mangroves, snook in South Florida make do with boat docks, which provide protection from predators as well as sites from which to ambush smaller fish and crustaceans.—
Steve Waters,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
-
This building will add truck docks and overhead doors to accommodate many industrial tenants.—
Cathy Kozlowicz,
jsonline.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The story is a post-apocalyptic tale in which a convict, played by Fischbach, sails an ocean of blood in a submarine in order to search for resources and discovers increasingly terrifying secrets.—
William Earl,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The Star Breeze sails year-round in French Polynesia, with voyages departing almost every week, according to the cruise line’s website.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In the second—and maddest—section of the poem, the narrator, having fled in panic to France, roams the Breton shoreline.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Scarlet wakes up in the Otherworld, an endless, arid landscape with an ocean for sky where a dragon roams.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The wharves and warehouses along Pratt Street burned fiercely.—
Jacques Kelly,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The infrastructure humans build in the water ‒ houses, piers, wharves, jetties, and even oil rigs ‒ create new habitats for juvenile jellyfish, called polyps, to attach and grow, Bologna said.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Steve Niese swims in Coney Island year-round and did describe the great benefits of cold water plunging in an article of a major newspaper.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Today, that turtle swims with three flippers in the new 4,000-gallon rehabilitation pool.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In the teaser, Cliff lounges at a bar, drifts through a few film sets, and tears around a dirt track in a derby car.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
8 Feb. 2026
-
As the subconscious Moon drifts into your subtle 12th house, your optimistic spirit benefits from tranquility.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Floats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floats. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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