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.
  • But here’s the problem with the beach: Most of us can’t afford to live there!
    — Karim Doumar, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024
  • The Suns can’t afford to have him in that comfort zone.
    — The Arizona Republic, 30 Apr. 2023
  • The Padres can’t afford to be be two things: Clumsy and dumb.
    — Nick Canepacolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 July 2022
  • That’s what a whole load of petrodollars can afford you.
    — Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Dec. 2022
  • And the change had to be painful for some wannabe buyers who were stretching to afford a house.
    — Michael E. Kanell, ajc, 20 June 2022
  • Her car couldn’t be fixed, and Gordon, 65, couldn’t afford to buy a new one.
    — Sydney Page, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2023
  • And many of them will likely be unable to afford to do so.
    — Tori Otten, The New Republic, 28 Dec. 2022
  • Many of the families could not afford to buy new books.
    — Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2024
  • Mayes said the state can't afford water deals like the one with Fondomonte.
    — Rob O'Dell, The Arizona Republic, 30 Aug. 2022
  • His team can’t afford to be forced to win without them.
    — Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 10 Jan. 2024
  • Many families in the storm’s path can’t afford to leave their homes.
    — Stephanie Claytor, Parents, 2 Nov. 2024
  • Even those on a budget will be able to afford the more high-end luggage brands.
    — Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 24 May 2024
  • Sometimes as black people, we are not afforded the space in the room.
    — Okla Jones, Essence, 27 Nov. 2024
  • Others can't afford dentures or a new suit to go to church.
    — Dana Hunsinger Benbow, USA TODAY, 13 July 2022
  • The drive to the hotel down a winding road off a main drag affords a view of fairways and greens in abundance.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2024
  • But groups that work to reduce the toll of drugs on the streets have one question: Will anybody be able to afford it?
    — David Ovalle, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Mar. 2023
  • Biden can afford to celebrate as the year inches to a close.
    — Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 15 Dec. 2022
  • Even the programs that could afford it had to make budget changes in order to do so.
    — Kat Cornetta, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Dec. 2022
  • And the pitching staff could afford health problems even less.
    — Noah Trister, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2025
  • Because that would mean that many people would not be able to afford those.
    — Jaimie Seaton, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2023
  • Most of us cannot afford to fail once, let alone failing often.
    — Byluv Tulsidas, Fortune, 4 June 2024
  • Which is good news for a team that can’t afford to be without one of its most potent hitters.
    — Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2025
  • This separation helps clarify how much the business can truly afford to spend, and what needs to wait.
    — Alejandra Rojas, Forbes.com, 31 May 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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