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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to roam
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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of float
Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
Because of its weaker gravity, the dust kicked up by the asteroid impacts doesn’t settle, floating around and threatening to clog up any machinery that might be needed to help plants grow.
—Tom Brown, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2025
Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Dec. 2024
His New Orleans drawl floats over the speedy hi-hats and rapid drum pattern.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for float 
Verb
Trump first floated the idea of purchasing Greenland in 2019 during his first term.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
Because of its weaker gravity, the dust kicked up by the asteroid impacts doesn’t settle, floating around and threatening to clog up any machinery that might be needed to help plants grow.
—Tom Brown, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2025
Noun
The 111th Rose Bowl game presented by Prudential will follow the floral float festivities.
—Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Dec. 2024
His New Orleans drawl floats over the speedy hi-hats and rapid drum pattern.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for float
Recent Examples of Synonyms for float
Verb
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Inflation is also hovering above the Bank of England’s 2% target, after edging higher to 2.6% in November.Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 7 Jan. 2025
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Currently, 30-year mortgage rates are hovering around 7.00 percent, but experts don't see that rate dropping too much in 2025.Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The dogs will then be walked and fed while their owners roam free inside each institution.George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 13 Jan. 2025
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Young male panthers, which roam large territories, are more likely to be killed by vehicles, according to FWC researchers.Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Activities include dock diving for dogs, lure courses, beer garden, a variety of food trucks and shopping, pet products and pet adoption opportunities.Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 15 Jan. 2025
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Subramanian rejected the idea Combs be kept under house arrest at a home with a boat dock in Miami but seemed open to potentially releasing him to confinement with around-the-clock security at a three-bedroom apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Sun Princess is sailing Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries through March before returning from the Mediterranean to home Port Everglades next November.Mark Gauert, Sun Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2025
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If new cruise ships sailing out of Port Canaveral like Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Treasure, Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas, and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Aqua bring you to the area, plan some time to explore before or after your sailing.Beth Luberecki, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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That first night back, my friends and I wandered through our neighborhood to see the damage Katrina had left behind and which of our neighbors had returned.Edward Buckles Jr., TIME, 7 Jan. 2025
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For another onsite dining option, wander to Madeline’s high-end Timber Room for tater tots covered with caviar, Alpine fondue, wagyu strip loin and a 32-ounce bison tomahawk steak.Linnea Covington, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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About 150 feet along the end of the wharf was washed away last month during dangerous high surf from a series of atmospheric river events that battered Northern California, Oregon and Washington.Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2025
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The 110-year-old, 2,745-foot wharf is said to be the longest fully wooden wharf in the Western Hemisphere.Stephanie Lam, The Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Activities include yoga, meditation and duong sinh (an Indigenous form of tai chi) sessions and swimming in the saltwater pool; there’s also access to riverside saunas, bamboo bicycles to explore Hoi An and sunset river cruises.Lindsey Tramuta Roxanne Fequiere Luke Fortney Gisela Williams Megan O’Sullivan, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
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As aquatic ecologist Dania Albini explains, swimming in most rivers is increasingly dangerous due to sewage fungus and algal blooms.Aissa Dearing, JSTOR Daily, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The band of seaweed annually stretches across the Atlantic, peaking in summer, and drifts west, often piling up on islands in the Caribbean, or continuing into the Gulf of Mexico.Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2025
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Its parts have been wearing down, its oil has been running low, its ignition timing has drifted, its catalytic converters have clogged.Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Float.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/float. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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