afloat
adjective or adverb
1
a
: borne on or as if on the water
b
: being at sea
2
: free of difficulties : self-sufficient
the inheritance kept them afloat for years
3
a
: circulating about
Silly rumors were afloat.
b
: adrift
Examples of afloat in a Sentence
the boat can't stay afloat much longer
Recent Examples on the Web
This is a good quarterback room that should be able to keep the ship afloat if Prescott misses a small amount of time.
—
Jon MacHota, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
But in a statement, OCPS said the increases are the only way to stay afloat.
—Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
The acquisition is a boon for the small startup, which has subsisted on $60 million over the last five years and previously struggled to stay afloat.
—Elaine Chen, STAT, 24 Apr. 2026
At the same time, the hybrid vehicle market is staying afloat.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 23 Apr. 2026
To keep the economy afloat, both public institutions and private banks have had to operate under extreme pressure.
—Nataliya Gumenyuk, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
After six brutal years of struggling to stay afloat, movie theater owners and operators arrived in Las Vegas for CinemaCon finally liking their odds of survival.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
But there are few alternatives when survival is at stake — and especially when a child’s labor becomes necessary to keep a family afloat.
—CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
But the five-year program is aimed at exploring new, creative ways to improve rural health, not to help existing services stay afloat.
—Arielle Zionts, NPR, 15 Apr. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Jon MacHota, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
But in a statement, OCPS said the increases are the only way to stay afloat.
—Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
The acquisition is a boon for the small startup, which has subsisted on $60 million over the last five years and previously struggled to stay afloat.
—Elaine Chen, STAT, 24 Apr. 2026
At the same time, the hybrid vehicle market is staying afloat.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 23 Apr. 2026
To keep the economy afloat, both public institutions and private banks have had to operate under extreme pressure.
—Nataliya Gumenyuk, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
After six brutal years of struggling to stay afloat, movie theater owners and operators arrived in Las Vegas for CinemaCon finally liking their odds of survival.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
But there are few alternatives when survival is at stake — and especially when a child’s labor becomes necessary to keep a family afloat.
—CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
But the five-year program is aimed at exploring new, creative ways to improve rural health, not to help existing services stay afloat.
—Arielle Zionts, NPR, 15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Afloat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afloat. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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