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

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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
That is, rafts of interior backstory and description that don’t obviously serve the plot. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026 Some customers paddled by on rafts and boards, above what used to be the boardwalk. — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026 This type of maritime migration is different from the once-common arrivals of rafts and other homemade vessels that Cubans are known to use to escape their homeland, and the overloaded freighters and sailboats used by people fleeing Haiti. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026 The Coast Guard had dropped inflatable rafts in the water nearby, but the teen — who was suffering from hypothermia — was too weak to swim to them. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 13 Sep. 2026 Borders are porous; in jet planes and on rafts, desperate people cross oceans. — Robert Stone, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026 But there’s plenty to keep kids occupied here from pool toys and rafts to beachside games like jenga and bocce. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026 Some 680 rescuers eventually reached the Gyirong area by foot and via rafts. — Niranjan Shrestha, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 The group had been water tubing on the Muskegon River when their rafts, which were only meant to be used in a pool, broke apart and left them stranded, Jazman's mother, Teresa Hock, told WWMT. — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rafts
Noun
  • Cranes lift 200-ton loads at mountain bridge site The R4300-200 has a maximum lifting capacity of 200 metric tons (220 US tons) and an 80-meter jib (262 feet).
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Its remaining civil rights workers have described untenable case loads and pressure to dismiss complaints.
    — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 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
  • One night before his 29th birthday, Thompson scored twice in 15 seconds in the second period, skating around the Ducks’ inert defense for a breakaway third goal that sent a dozen hats flying onto the Honda Center ice.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • With more than a dozen flights landing Salvadoran military personnel and equipment so far, the unusual deployment has thrust Bukele into a direct confrontation with Haiti’s powerful gangs.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Expect a night of dazzling sights, as costumed performers, puppets and floats make their way down Columbus Drive.
    — Jennifer Day, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Each night, Musgraves floats over the audience, cozily nestled in a giant set of disco ball Truck Nutz.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Across the country, grain — a key export — piles up in fields and silos as farmers struggle to find routes safe from airstrikes and wait for prices to rise.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The band was jeered at during live appearances and some angry listeners even bulldozed over piles of their CDs.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • The effect is something like an off-season approximation of a sidewalk, and, your winter climate permitting, sidewalk chalk (tons of it, for $18) is another good option.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The natural gas storage well failed and uncontrollably released nearly 100,000 tons of methane and other substances into the atmosphere for more than 100 days.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • The Illinois State Board of Elections removed both from the ballot, finding them hundreds of valid signatures short.
    — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The takeover left millions of customers' savings and hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds in limbo.
    — EMILIO SANABRIA, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Though the company is still throwing off bundles of cash, the profits aren’t good enough for a ravenous Wall Street, and the blood of 1,000 staff has been let as Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters attempt to change the record.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Buildup was also found inside the microwave in the kitchen, and bundles of cilantro were sitting on top of a wiping cloth on the prep table in the kitchen.
    — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

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

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