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
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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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of floats
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 8 Dec. 2024
The camera now floats just behind the character’s head, depicting work and home, love stories and painful reunions, fleeting observations and a reckoning with the past, as if from two points of view simultaneously—one visual and one spectral, bringing absence to life along with presence.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2024
Like a spooky space ship, a brine shrimp seemingly floats through space.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
And then, at some point, her mom floats by her.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2024
And very shortly after that her son floats by her.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2024
Below those small fang-blades, each haunch floats independently over its respective wheel, the body panel previously connecting them deleted to save weight.
—New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2024
During the director’s favorite scene from the film, Halley’s camcorder floats through zero gravity and slowly turns to reveal the suffering monstrosity the intrepid journalist and flawed mom character has become.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 7 Oct. 2024
In a geological process known as isostatic rebound, the erosion reduced the weight of the region, allowing the rise of land masses on the Earth’s crust, its outermost layer that floats atop a mantle layer made of hot, semiliquid rock.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 1 Oct. 2024
Verb
The Pistons’ star floats to the corner for a wide-open three.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 8 Dec. 2024
The camera now floats just behind the character’s head, depicting work and home, love stories and painful reunions, fleeting observations and a reckoning with the past, as if from two points of view simultaneously—one visual and one spectral, bringing absence to life along with presence.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2024
Like a spooky space ship, a brine shrimp seemingly floats through space.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
And then, at some point, her mom floats by her.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2024
And very shortly after that her son floats by her.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2024
Below those small fang-blades, each haunch floats independently over its respective wheel, the body panel previously connecting them deleted to save weight.
—New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2024
During the director’s favorite scene from the film, Halley’s camcorder floats through zero gravity and slowly turns to reveal the suffering monstrosity the intrepid journalist and flawed mom character has become.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 7 Oct. 2024
In a geological process known as isostatic rebound, the erosion reduced the weight of the region, allowing the rise of land masses on the Earth’s crust, its outermost layer that floats atop a mantle layer made of hot, semiliquid rock.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 1 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floats
Verb
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Today, the combined population of the Indian subcontinent’s three most affected vulture species hovers around a mere 20,000.Scott Travers, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
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Microchip’s stock-market value or worth on Wall Street has fallen but still hovers around $32 billion.Russ Wiles, The Arizona Republic, 6 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The mind wanders but doesn’t ask too many questions.Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 28 Nov. 2024
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If your mind wanders, acknowledge it, then nudge yourself to return to listening.Scott Mautz, Contributor, CNBC, 28 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Straight from the hotel docks, our captain showed us around the various villas and properties dotted around the lake, peppering in some historical and pop-culture factoids, like how the idyllic Villa Balbianello was featured in the Star Wars prequel films.Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 7 Dec. 2024
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The Department of Safety and Security also increased patrols near the waterfront, and there is improved lighting and signage around the swimming docks.Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 25 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near floats
Cite this Entry
“Floats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floats. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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