afloat 1 of 2

Definition of afloatnext
as in floating
riding upon the surface of a body of liquid the boat can't stay afloat much longer

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

afloat

2 of 2

adverb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of afloat
Adjective
Like many independent restaurants, Jon’s navigated a shifting culinary landscape in recent years, from pandemic disruptions to rising costs, all while making incremental changes to stay afloat, including adding beer and wine and participating in the Dana Point Harbor Certified Farmers Market. Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 2 May 2026 Regulation should be precise enough to target exploitation without eliminating survival tools for homeowners trying to stay afloat. Jamie Smarr, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026 In the meantime, many farmers rely on synthetic herbicides to stay afloat, Wilken said. Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026 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 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
Adverb
Dallas famously had one of the coldest cold stretches at 5-on-5 in recent NHL history, and relied almost entirely on the power play to stay afloat in the series. Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 2 May 2026 However, the final blow to its ability to stay afloat came when oil prices rose during the war in Iran. Kendrick Calfee may 2, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2026 Fortunately, Cupertino native Aaron Eckhart keeps things afloat as Kingsley’s heroic co-pilot. Randy Myers, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026 Its offense, the element keeping it afloat, has totaled six runs in the first two games of this series in Baltimore. Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 30 Apr. 2026 As the owner of a local racing speedway, Tony went into high gear to keep this festival afloat. Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026 Now, in return for the $300 million investment that will keep Hypergnosis afloat, Carl expects immediate benefits from Duncan’s nefarious data-collection operation. Scott Tobias, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026 The 20-year-old guard pushed the pace, got to the foul line (5 of 6 in the third quarter) and helped keep the Spurs’ offense afloat throughout dry spells. Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 25 Apr. 2026 West Ham are simply trying to stay afloat in 17th place, just two points above the relegation zone. Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
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
  • By the late 1990s, however, the Fujimori government was increasingly beset by corruption allegations and human rights scandals, including scrutiny over the financing of Keiko’s education abroad.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 May 2026
  • Outward expansion is already ramping up as major brands push to build out charging infrastructure and woo customers and partners abroad.
    Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
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
  • Tensions over slavery were then ratcheting up everywhere.
    Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
  • Now fashion is everywhere and belongs to everyone.
    Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 4 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Afloat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afloat. Accessed 5 May. 2026.

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