rafts 1 of 2

plural of raft
as in loads
a considerable amount the babysitter had to listen to a whole raft of rules before she was allowed to even pick up the baby

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rafts

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of raft

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 rafts
Noun
Scientists will also be able to use satellite observations of the pumice rafts to hone estimates of the size of the eruption. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 31 July 2026 Both slides will utilize five-person rafts to ensure fun for the whole family. Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026 They are filled with cuddly characters, Broadway-caliber shows and water slides with screens set into the tubes to tell stories about Mickey Mouse while riders rocket past on rafts. Christian Sylt, Fortune, 16 July 2026 But flows on much of the Colorado River were high enough for rafts and kayaks this week. Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 16 July 2026 For something slower-paced, float the Penticton channel that connects Okanagan and Skaha lakes on tube rafts. Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2026 Tzikas pointed to the San Juan Rapids, Clay Banks and Sailor Bar areas as those with stronger currents and eddies that can throw individuals from their rafts and paddleboards or submerge them before shooting them rapidly downstream. Reeti Malhotra july 10, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026 Inspired by the way fire ants form floating rafts during floods, the system allows each robot to make local decisions rather than relying on constant instructions from a central computer. Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026 Countless trees were felled and taken to Eugene for processing in mills or floated up the Willamette to Portland, the sawn trunks chained together in massive, bobbing rafts. Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rafts
Noun
  • The weight is adjustable, allowing experienced CrossFit athletes and fitness newcomers to ruck together while carrying different loads.
    Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Today, there are loads of fancier, stronger knots that have become common in fishing.
    Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 30 July 2026
Verb
  • Cut with a curved outer seam that balloons slightly through the thigh before tapering at the ankle, the shape is all about creating volume.
    Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 29 Dec. 2025
  • The mid-rise jeans have an exaggerated barrel silhouette that balloons out at the knee and tapers into a wide-leg fit at the ankle.
    Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Around the dozens of containers that make Toolik the US’s largest research station in the Arctic, musk ox and caribou graze on dwarf birches and fragrant labrador tea, while Arctic ground squirrels pop out of their burrows to survey the tundra.
    Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • The 180-acre (73-hectare) retreat, which is run by the Navy and guarded by Marines, has a cabin named Aspen that’s reserved for the president, plus about a dozen other cabins for guests.
    ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • Though officially Danish, Bornholm floats midway between Sweden, Germany, and Poland.
    Stephanie Gavan, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 July 2026
  • Streaks of light fly down the carriage in one dueling scene, and in the show’s climax, the lights go dark when a dementor — played by a hooded actor puppeteering the creature strapped to their torso — floats down the aisle.
    Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Noun
  • The smell of rotten eggs permeates communities where large piles of decaying sargassum emit ammonia and hydrogen sulfide.
    ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
  • Content piles up faster than it can be classified or reused, and AI only accelerates that.
    Benjamin Faes, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Noun
  • After the smelter closed in 1997, the EPA estimated the plant and other factories had dumped 200,000 tons of lead dust — enough to fill at least 1,600 rail cars — across Omaha’s east side.
    Chris Bowling, ProPublica, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Since Escola, who won a Tony for playing Mary, left the production, tons of famous faces have assumed the part including Jane Krakowski, Tituss Burgess, Betty Gilpin, Maya Rudolph and Meg Stalter.
    Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • At the end of 2020, hundreds of hospitals were at full capacity, and more than 90% of ICU beds were occupied in a third of all hospitals.
    Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • As artificial intelligence fuels a new startup boom, debate for students over whether to spend years—and potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars—earning a degree or dropping out to chase the next billion-dollar unicorn has intensified.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The matter and antimatter annihilate each other, creating other particles, including bundles of quarks.
    Matt von Hippel, Quanta Magazine, 29 July 2026
  • Hundreds of enterprise customers have purchased millions of seats for high-end E7 productivity software bundles, Nadella said on a conference call with analysts.
    Jordan Novet, CNBC, 29 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rafts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rafts. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on rafts

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!