afloat 1 of 2

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
Under normal circumstances, he could be trusted to keep the Ravens afloat. Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 5 Oct. 2025 Boho is saying goodbye (at least for the time being) after struggling to stay afloat amid dropping sales. Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2025 Marcus Mariota has filled in nicely for the second year quarterback, helping the team stay afloat by going 1-1 in those games. Mark Kern, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025 No one player will come close to replicating the impact of their ascending star receiver, so the Giants must hope a bunch of them step up to give Dart options and help the offense stay afloat throughout the remainder of the season. Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025 The bipartisan budget includes several measures designed to make childcare more affordable and accessible, and to keep providers afloat amid rising costs. Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 1 Oct. 2025 Adamolekun is also spearheading the company’s $60 million plan to keep the seafood chain afloat by stacking his C-suite with restaurant-industry veterans. Sydney Lake, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025 As San Diego council members prepare to vote on major water and sewer rate hikes, the city’s independent budget analyst warns that higher rates are all but unavoidable in order to keep the Public Utilities Department afloat — and that not raising rates would hurt customers in other ways. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Sep. 2025 Despite the offense’s ineffectiveness Friday, TCU’s defense kept the Horned Frogs afloat with countless stops deep in their own territory — like when linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr broke up a would-be touchdown in the second half. Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Sep. 2025
Adverb
Inside Venezuela, authorities have turned to heavier taxation and extortion of businesses to keep the state’s security apparatus afloat. Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025 Not long after, the district decided to essentially lend $25 million to the Isaac Elementary School District to help that district stay afloat, and then spent more than $15 million on new land. Alexandra Hardle, AZCentral.com, 30 Sep. 2025 Theater operators, who are struggling to stay afloat post-COVID, would be adamantly opposed to tariffs on tickets. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 29 Sep. 2025 The Las Vegas Raiders (1–2) are banking on their experienced offense to stay afloat, with Geno Smith leading a passing attack that's among the league leaders in yardage. Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025 Donations from colleagues and community members helped the family stay afloat. Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 27 Sep. 2025 Instead, group homes that used that model would be forced to apply to the Minnesota Department of Human Services for behavioral health funding to stay afloat, and abide by an entirely different set of regulations and expectations. Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 23 Sep. 2025 The dual revenue stream is expected to keep the project financially afloat regardless of any steps by Beijing to sway markets. Ernest Scheyder, Reuters, 19 Sep. 2025 Once flush with venture capital dollars, many were now struggling to stay afloat. Amanda Lauren, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 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
  • 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
  • Blame the damp and moderate climate hereabouts or the particular ardor of the northern red-legged frog, but our target species is ready to hop anytime between early November and the middle of March.
    Murr Brewster, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2024
Adverb
  • Numerous factory owners with political ties have either disappeared, gone abroad, or faced legal action.
    Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 2 Oct. 2025
  • While economic influence and diplomacy shape a country’s role in the world, the ability to defend its borders and project force abroad remains a decisive factor in global affairs.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • Jason Kelce is out here doing the dirty work on behalf of Swifties everywhere.
    Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
  • While more testing is still ahead, the early data shows how robotics could make a lifesaving difference for patients everywhere.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Afloat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afloat. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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