How to Use afford in a Sentence

afford

verb
  • All of the rooms afford views of the lake.
  • He'll be able to afford a house next year.
  • They couldn't afford new coats for the children.
  • We were too poor to afford a doctor.
  • Don't spend more than you can afford.
  • We can afford waiting a while longer.
  • He was afforded the opportunity to work for a judge.
  • Some can't afford your hourly rate.
    — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
  • Those who can afford to have moved out of the state in droves.
    — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 21 June 2026
  • The Reds can’t afford to drop any more points.
    — Graham Ruthven, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
  • Yet most buyers still can’t afford to act on it.
    — Jake Angelo, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Illinois cannot afford to lose tools that work.
    — Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
  • My mother couldn't afford it back in the day.
    — Siafa Lewis, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
  • But Young knows that not all schools can afford such perks.
    — Michael Cuglietta, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 June 2026
  • Others won’t be able to afford to eat.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
  • And these are foods that many of them can't afford anyway.
    — Sarah Koch, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
  • That has sent the cost of food beyond what many can afford.
    — Regina Garcia Cano, Fortune, 10 Jan. 2026
  • That has sent the cost of food beyond what many can afford.
    — Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Many will not be able to afford health care and will go uninsured.
    — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
  • When tax bills get too high, people can’t afford them.
    — Lylena D. Estabine, Chicago Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
  • White can’t afford to turn half the country away.
    — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2026
  • So, if people can afford less, are home prices about to fall?
    — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2022
  • That’s how the rooms could afford drama school.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
  • School teachers can’t afford to be there.
    — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026
  • People who can’t afford to, miss work.
    — Jorge L. Ortiz, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
  • How can people afford those prices?
    — Matt Slater, New York Times, 4 June 2026
  • The Jets cannot afford to let all walk to free agency.
    — Murat Ates, New York Times, 5 June 2026
  • Keep an eye on who in your market can afford to see early.
    — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
  • The Mets can't afford to lose their star closer.
    — Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Can Exxon afford to turn that business down?
    — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'afford.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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