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
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Recent Examples of rafts
ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
To keep the poly from taking on water and sinking, use pool balls and blow-up rafts to support the poly.
—Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2026
In Raspail’s tale, hordes of impoverished and dark-skinned brutes from India descend onto French shores by way of rafts, the first wave of an invasion of the civilized West by the brown-skinned developing world.
—Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026
From hovering inflatables that double as rafts, to multi-story tree stacks, to in-air winter lodges, Tentsile has developed what might be the world's most singular lineup of hanging tents.
—New Atlas, 25 Mar. 2026
Theron races through the forest and rafts through the rapids while Egerton follows her into caves and down the side of a cliff.
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
The volunteer group's flights centered on spotting Cuban refugees fleeing their homeland and attempting to come to the United States, often in makeshift boats or rafts.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026
People hurl wooden crates overboard, tumble off rafts, and frantically don life jackets—sometimes all at once.
—Kristen Geil, Outside, 24 Feb. 2026
Visitors can paddle across its still surface on flat bamboo rafts or swim out to nearby monkey-less Monkey Island and spend the afternoon relaxing on its beautiful beach.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2026
Noun
The tactic has become more popular with smugglers as police on the beaches try to thwart crossings by puncturing the rafts that groups of migrants have to inflate and carry to the water.
—ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
To keep the poly from taking on water and sinking, use pool balls and blow-up rafts to support the poly.
—Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2026
In Raspail’s tale, hordes of impoverished and dark-skinned brutes from India descend onto French shores by way of rafts, the first wave of an invasion of the civilized West by the brown-skinned developing world.
—Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026
From hovering inflatables that double as rafts, to multi-story tree stacks, to in-air winter lodges, Tentsile has developed what might be the world's most singular lineup of hanging tents.
—New Atlas, 25 Mar. 2026
Theron races through the forest and rafts through the rapids while Egerton follows her into caves and down the side of a cliff.
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
The volunteer group's flights centered on spotting Cuban refugees fleeing their homeland and attempting to come to the United States, often in makeshift boats or rafts.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026
People hurl wooden crates overboard, tumble off rafts, and frantically don life jackets—sometimes all at once.
—Kristen Geil, Outside, 24 Feb. 2026
Visitors can paddle across its still surface on flat bamboo rafts or swim out to nearby monkey-less Monkey Island and spend the afternoon relaxing on its beautiful beach.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rafts
Noun
-
As trucks roared up the landfill and dumped fresh loads of trash, adults and children alike rushed forward, gathering beneath cascading avalanches of waste to grab anything of value.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The 37-year-old is aging like fine wine, averaging nearly 26 points per game for the Houston Rockets while shouldering one of the heaviest minutes loads in the league.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The heartbroken mother of a 15-year-old boy who was beaten and fatally shot inside a Queens park as dozens of teens callously filmed the slaying on their phones condemned his killer — and those who did nothing but watch him die.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Webb escaped further trouble but needed another dozen pitches to finish the inning.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 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
-
The three-block stretch, between 16th and 19th avenues, looks markedly different from just a year ago, when tents, abandoned cars and piles of trash crowded the street and sidewalks.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Black smoke billowed into the night sky of the Ukrainian capital, the morning revealing charred cars and piles of debris scattered next to damaged buildings.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
So Fasanara floats the cash, collects interest from the seller and directly assumes payment from the buying squad.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Sportico.com,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Just as Earth has two very different poles — the Antarctic south pole, marked by a massive continent, and the icy north pole, whose ice floats atop the waters of the Arctic ocean — so too does Saturn.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Chihuahua State Investigation Agency After locating the labs using drones, officials found tons of material to manufacture drugs but no people, who were likely alerted beforehand and fled, the prosecutor added.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Asos has tons of polka dot styles at approachable prices, but one piece that caught my eye was this maxi skirt for its delicate, flattering lace hem that adds an elegant touch to an otherwise basic style.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Slowly, incrementally, Andrew disassembled the coach, until hundreds of little bits of him were scattered from Rockville to Manassas.—
John McPhee,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Climate change and persistent drought have already sapped hundreds of billions of gallons of water from the river’s annual flow.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The network also launched a subscription offering that bundles together its free news offerings with some exclusive content.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Travelers can avoid these fees by purchasing fare bundles, getting an airline credit card, or achieving elite frequent flyer status.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rafts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rafts. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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