as in floating
riding upon the surface of a body of liquid
the boat can't stay afloat much longer
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in hereabouts
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of afloat
Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
Last week, the Agriculture Department issued temporary emergency funds to keep afloat the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in Wisconsin, known as WIC.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Reserve funds have kept the program afloat since 2022.
—Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Oct. 2025
Doncic and company will be tasked with staying afloat in a competitive Western Conference while James is sidelined.
—Valentina Martinez, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
That defeat was huge for programs like TCU that needed a little help to stay afloat in the Big 12 race.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2025
But the Lakers staying afloat while James is sidelined will start with how well Doncic and Reaves lead the group.
—Khobi Price, Oc Register, 19 Oct. 2025
While Amazon sales may be enough to stay afloat, placing all its seasonings into one virtual storefront can hamstring a fledgling business in the long term.
—Mara Weinraub, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 Oct. 2025
His four total touchdowns are keeping him afloat as a weekly RB2.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2025
Otto Rabe, Cincinnati Enquirer, 24 Oct. 2025
Earlier this month, the Department of Agriculture used tax revenue to allocate $300 million to keep the program — known in full as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children — afloat.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
Pressing for payment could humiliate people, who often arrive with their extended families, Parmar explained, and in a community this close-knit, that could mean losing dozens of patients, including many of the Medicaid patients who keep the clinic afloat.
—Helen Ouyang, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2025
These are the moments when Alcott is at his best, navigating the murky waters of Harrison’s life with no Slice of Life to keep him afloat.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2025
Many workers saw their hours decreased as employers tried to minimize costs and stay afloat.
—Adam Summers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Oct. 2025
Even with George Kittle returning this week and maybe Brock Purdy next, Bourne is going to be the focal point of an offense that has to score 30-plus just to stay afloat.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025
Hobbs said a loan from Navy Federal was keeping the family – her husband, a Navy member of 15 years and their two children, nine and six years old – afloat.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
The Steelers come in at 4-1 and look to put even more distance between themselves and the rest of the division, while the Bengals with Joe Flacco are looking for a big win to help keep themselves afloat for when Joe Burrow can return from injury.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Displacing 80,000 tons, the Fujian is the closest thing afloat to the US Navy’s 97,000-ton Nimitz-class carriers, which make up 10 of the 11 carriers in the US fleet.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
Last week, the Agriculture Department issued temporary emergency funds to keep afloat the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in Wisconsin, known as WIC.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Reserve funds have kept the program afloat since 2022.
—Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Oct. 2025
Doncic and company will be tasked with staying afloat in a competitive Western Conference while James is sidelined.
—Valentina Martinez, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
That defeat was huge for programs like TCU that needed a little help to stay afloat in the Big 12 race.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2025
But the Lakers staying afloat while James is sidelined will start with how well Doncic and Reaves lead the group.
—Khobi Price, Oc Register, 19 Oct. 2025
While Amazon sales may be enough to stay afloat, placing all its seasonings into one virtual storefront can hamstring a fledgling business in the long term.
—Mara Weinraub, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 Oct. 2025
His four total touchdowns are keeping him afloat as a weekly RB2.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2025
Adverb
According to Bookman, his partner was struggling with substance abuse and was barely able to stay afloat, even with the success of his invention.
—Otto Rabe, Cincinnati Enquirer, 24 Oct. 2025
Earlier this month, the Department of Agriculture used tax revenue to allocate $300 million to keep the program — known in full as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children — afloat.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
Pressing for payment could humiliate people, who often arrive with their extended families, Parmar explained, and in a community this close-knit, that could mean losing dozens of patients, including many of the Medicaid patients who keep the clinic afloat.
—Helen Ouyang, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2025
These are the moments when Alcott is at his best, navigating the murky waters of Harrison’s life with no Slice of Life to keep him afloat.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2025
Many workers saw their hours decreased as employers tried to minimize costs and stay afloat.
—Adam Summers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Oct. 2025
Even with George Kittle returning this week and maybe Brock Purdy next, Bourne is going to be the focal point of an offense that has to score 30-plus just to stay afloat.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025
Hobbs said a loan from Navy Federal was keeping the family – her husband, a Navy member of 15 years and their two children, nine and six years old – afloat.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
The Steelers come in at 4-1 and look to put even more distance between themselves and the rest of the division, while the Bengals with Joe Flacco are looking for a big win to help keep themselves afloat for when Joe Burrow can return from injury.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afloat
Adjective
-
Companies with a smaller market value generally tend to have more floating rate debt than larger businesses.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Social media posts and years of reviewing cookie-cutter luxury hotels had conditioned me to equate floating breakfasts, monogrammed accessories, butler service, and aromatherapy menus as markers of a dreamy luxury vacation.—
Katherine Alex Beaven,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Oct. 2024
Adverb
-
And while the absence of a hometown rooting interest obviously won’t translate into a total baseball blackout hereabouts, only someone who’s been clobbered over the head by Wonderboy might expect to see the World Series ratings reach the heights of last year.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
10 Oct. 2025
-
This time the recipient is area rancher Benjamin Bonney (Dermot Mulroney), who along with his thuggish sons is suspected of murdering anyone hereabouts who won’t surrender their own land to him.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
10 Jan. 2025
Adverb
-
The momentum behind these ventures — the idea, unpalatable to many of us small-minded, provincial types, of taking domestic league matches abroad — remains strong.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
But cattle producers say importing cheaper beef abroad could threaten domestic agriculture in the long run.—
Mackensy Lunsford,
Nashville Tennessean,
23 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Orange construction barrels are seemingly everywhere.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Okay, maybe not that honey oak—the golden wood tone that flooded kitchens everywhere in the '80s and '90s.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Afloat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afloat. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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