better-off

Definition of better-offnext

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 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 The proportion already in private schools dipped from 70% in 2023-24 – reflecting the first year of eligibility for better-off families – to 30%. Leslie Postal, Orlando Sentinel, 12 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for better-off
Adjective
  • The strikes and comments suggest the kingdom hasn't been successful in its efforts to intensify diplomatic outreach to Iran.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Mar. 2026
  • If competing proposals appear on a ballot and are successful, the one that receives the most votes nullifies the other.
    Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Rockefeller initially favored the bridge that would have connected the affluent areas of Oyster Bay on Long Island and Rye in Westchester County, but the tide turned as opposition grew.
    Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 8 Mar. 2026
  • Gas prices are regressive — meaning lower-income people are more likely to spend a higher percentage of their money on fuel than affluent Americans.
    Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Other Pittsburgh connections to Forbes' list Pittsburgh natives David Tepper and Mark Cuban were on Forbes' latest ranking of the world's wealthiest people.
    Michael Guise, CBS News, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Despite concerns about wealthy New Yorkers fleeing our city, the real exodus is happening in the middle.
    Gary LaBarbera, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • On the other hand, especially given that the vote was still restricted to only a small minority of propertied men, the rise of party politics itself sharpened the age-old mistrust of popular judgment as irrational and easily swayed—especially by lies.
    Fara Dabhoiwala, Harpers Magazine, 4 June 2025
  • No one could vote except propertied, head-of-household men.
    Emily McDermott, ARTnews.com, 11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • City News Bureau existed because of the vitality of a growing and prosperous Chicago.
    Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Calm sea and prosperous voyage—a dream for Goethe and Mendelssohn, for any parent, and perhaps for all men and women—was but a hearsay.
    Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Pfeiffer will play Stacy, the matriarch of the well-to-do New York City Clyburn clan, who leave for central Montana in the wake of tragedy.
    Uwa Ede-Osifo, Dallas Morning News, 2 Mar. 2026
  • When the French Revolution turned nobility into a liability, its well-to-do citizens began to disperse themselves amongst the poor, traveling on the right to better avoid being targeted by the masses.
    Byron Hurd, The Drive, 26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The Moon uplifts vulnerable Chiron, spotlighting your comfortable 4th house and your profound 8th house.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Harris, the Chatsworth head coach, said Arenas is still just getting comfortable.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Aiden Robbins took the most substantial swing of the night in that inning, driving a two-run, back-side home run to right field.
    David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Young described the difference as substantial, enough rain to make the small blades of grass stand up enough for putts to hold their line.
    Dallas Morning News, Dallas Morning News, 7 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Better-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/better-off. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.

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