float
verb (used without object)
to rest or remain on the surface of a liquid; be buoyant.
had been floating
-
past perfect progressiveof float.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Rumors of her late-2022 split from “Normal People” actor Paul Mescal had been floating around for a few months when the airport photos with Burnham went viral.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 31, 2023
The 32,000-tonne carrier had been floating offshore for three months since Turkey refused it entry to be scrapped there because it was an environmental hazard and the ship was towed back to Brazil.
From Reuters ● Feb. 4, 2023
Sinn Féin councillor Sean McGlinchey said cars had been "floating from side to side" as they travelled along the Main Street when the flow of water was at its worst.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2022
This fit in with an academic theory that had been floating around called Modernization Theory.
From New York Times ● Apr. 8, 2022
It had been floating about for almost thirty years in the circle of theoretically inclined geneticists intrigued by gene duplication.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
