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.
Despite all these issues—and this is on top of the many allegations that came out during his previous relationship with former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham—Miller had been floating through his reelections relatively unscathed.
From Slate ● Aug. 1, 2026
The idea of charging users a subscription fee on X was first publicly reported about a month ago by Bloomberg columnist Dave Lee, who said Musk had been floating the idea in private.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2023
Days after that balloon was shot down, China acknowledged that a second Chinese balloon had been floating over Latin America and the Caribbean.
From New York Times ● Feb. 13, 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
Aru wondered whether that was the shoelike thing that had been floating in the cauldron.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
