better-off

adjective

Definition of better-offnext
as in successful

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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 better-off After all, these programs helped to create the class of better-off retirees who fund the group today. — Samuel Moyn, Harpers Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026 Lower earners historically see higher rates of inflation than their better-off counterparts, said Morgan Stanley economist Heather Berger. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2026 Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson housing projects were built and black folks settled in, dreaming of moving in with their better-off cousins who lived near Lenox Avenue. — Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026 When New York boldly expanded free preschool a decade ago, classroom quality climbed mostly in better-off neighborhoods, failing to lift poor children. — Bruce Fuller, Oc Register, 27 Dec. 2025 The pumpkin would most likely have been stewed, possibly with meat, but pies reflected British heritage and were a common staple in better-off households. — Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025 Japan was in a deep recession, but Uniqlo kept growing, offering bargains for the struggling masses and discretion for better-off consumers in an era that frowned upon conspicuous consumption. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025 Poorer school districts could also struggle to access the latest AI technology, widening the gap with areas that are better-off, Robin Lake, director of Arizona State University’s Center on Reinventing Public Education, told CNN. — Nic F. Anderson, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025 In the 1870s, workers and domestic servants were still living close to their employers in back alleys and compounds behind the homes of the better-off. — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 5 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for better-off
  1. successful
  2. affluent
  3. wealthy
  4. propertied
  5. prosperous
  6. well-to-do
  7. comfortable
  8. substantial
Adjective
  • But there’s a clear pride in how a roll-your-sleeves-up work ethic and a successful youth system have helped pay for what is a hugely welcoming lower-division ground.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • However, Samuelsen noted that in the past week alone, TWU has gained nearly 400 members, with successful organizing drives for 220 municipal workers in Brick Township, NJ and for about 60 New York City diesel mechanics.
    — Ted Reed, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of successful
Adjective
  • Luxury resort Fontainebleau, approaching its third anniversary, is strategically positioned to cater to this affluent audience.
    — Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The findings were consistent across the city’s older urban core — in the historically Black neighborhoods north of downtown, the predominantly Hispanic areas to the south and the more white and affluent areas in midtown.
    — Chris Bowling, ProPublica, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of affluent
Adjective
  • Their homes were not like the large estates found in wealthier Colorado mountain towns, but smaller structures where their blue-collar families went to relax and enjoy the outdoors.
    — Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 16 Aug. 2026
  • His playful sophisticated wit was often aimed at his presidency, his wealthy background and occasionally his brothers, Teddy and Bobby.
    — John Blumenthal, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of wealthy
Adjective
  • Those writing the new constitution determined that men of substance, the wealthy, could be counted on to vote for men of good character who would end the chaos in the country and protect the interests of the propertied classes.
    — Christine Adams / Made by History, TIME, 16 Sep. 2024
  • Edward Gibbon, who was ultimately elected to the UK Parliament, was born into a propertied English family that had lost most of its fortune in the South Sea Bubble of the 1720s but later regained it.
    — BYWill Daniel, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2023
Definition of propertied
Adjective
  • The island’s very existence—a prosperous, democratic Chinese society integrated with the West—offers a stinging rebuke to the claim that authoritarian rule is uniquely suited to the Chinese people.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Memories of paradise Sentir Cubano holds that prosperous paradise so many Cubans remember.
    — Sarah Moreno August 7, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of prosperous
Adjective
  • The associated Wall Street boom has bolstered stock portfolios, spurring spending by the well-to-do, which is also increasing demand.
    — Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The thing about a bubble, however, is that there’s always something pushing from the outside—in this case, well-to-do parents.
    — Kase Wickman, Vanity Fair, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of well-to-do
Adjective
  • For example, someone who is comfortable walking for 30 minutes could walk at their usual pace for several minutes, then pick it up for a minute or two before slowing down again.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The latter can be superbly made, and can add something special to the process, but does require a little more practice to get comfortable with.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of comfortable
Adjective
  • But developers accustomed to CUDA may need to rewrite and optimize substantial portions of their existing code before moving their training workloads to Ascend.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Business organizations, for example, typically devote substantial resources to risk management.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of substantial

Browse Nearby Words

betterments
better-off
betters
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Cite this Entry

“Better-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/better-off. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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