as in floating
riding upon the surface of a body of liquid
the boat can't stay afloat much longer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in abroad
Related Words
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 afloat
Jonaki Mehta,
NPR,
1 July 2026
Meanwhile, explosive growth in the military economy and stimulus spending on infrastructure and social benefits helped Russian households stay afloat, despite stoking inflation.
—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
30 June 2026
But with the help of attorneys and a network of volunteers organized by Raseman, the family stayed afloat.
—
Laura Rodríguez Presa,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2026
Olivia and Albert never left their daughter alone overnight, taking turns sleeping in her room while caring for Irie's older sister, Faith, and keeping their small business afloat.
—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
28 June 2026
To stay afloat, Catawba County sought to diversify its economic gains and began looking into data centers.
—
Charlotte Observer,
25 June 2026
But those are optimistic goals for a regime that has proven unable or unwilling to keep its own economy afloat.
—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
If there’s any big bugaboo in his profile, he can be beaten by higher-end velocity, but his ability to adjust to secondary offerings keeps him afloat.
—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
10 June 2026
The man, who has not been identified, was last seen in the water after assisting a woman who had been struggling to stay afloat.
—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
6 July 2026
By every metric, Blubaugh is blossoming into an almost indispensable piece of the Astros’ attempt to stay afloat in the American League playoff hunt.
—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
Foam pool noodles are good for more than keeping you afloat in the water.
—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 July 2026
The taxes paid by second-home owners keep the island’s public services afloat, and most businesses survive on tourism in the summer months—when all the ticks come out to feed.
—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
This year, the effort also received a one-time grant from an anonymous donor that Lindsey says will keep the project afloat until at least February 2027.
—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
26 June 2026
Marathon should never have been put in the position to keep Bungie afloat with Destiny 2 completely dead, but that’s where things have ended up.
—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
As their husbands' fame grows, Sam and Cecily will have to confront whether or not their friendship can stay afloat too.
—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
25 June 2026
Co-directed by Tseng Ying-ting and produced by DaMou Entertainment, the series centers on a young man’s effort to uncover the truth about his father’s death while keeping the family restaurant afloat.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 June 2026
Adjective
And while the voucher may increase demand, facilities like this often have to leverage other sources of money to keep programs like Swim Buddies afloat.
—
Jonaki Mehta,
NPR,
1 July 2026
Meanwhile, explosive growth in the military economy and stimulus spending on infrastructure and social benefits helped Russian households stay afloat, despite stoking inflation.
—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
30 June 2026
But with the help of attorneys and a network of volunteers organized by Raseman, the family stayed afloat.
—
Laura Rodríguez Presa,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2026
Olivia and Albert never left their daughter alone overnight, taking turns sleeping in her room while caring for Irie's older sister, Faith, and keeping their small business afloat.
—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
28 June 2026
To stay afloat, Catawba County sought to diversify its economic gains and began looking into data centers.
—
Charlotte Observer,
25 June 2026
But those are optimistic goals for a regime that has proven unable or unwilling to keep its own economy afloat.
—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
If there’s any big bugaboo in his profile, he can be beaten by higher-end velocity, but his ability to adjust to secondary offerings keeps him afloat.
—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
10 June 2026
The man, who has not been identified, was last seen in the water after assisting a woman who had been struggling to stay afloat.
—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Adverb
The country was able to keep its oil business mostly afloat by bypassing the strait with pipelines that shipped oil to a port in Yanbu on the other side of the nation.
—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
6 July 2026
By every metric, Blubaugh is blossoming into an almost indispensable piece of the Astros’ attempt to stay afloat in the American League playoff hunt.
—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
Foam pool noodles are good for more than keeping you afloat in the water.
—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 July 2026
The taxes paid by second-home owners keep the island’s public services afloat, and most businesses survive on tourism in the summer months—when all the ticks come out to feed.
—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
This year, the effort also received a one-time grant from an anonymous donor that Lindsey says will keep the project afloat until at least February 2027.
—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
26 June 2026
Marathon should never have been put in the position to keep Bungie afloat with Destiny 2 completely dead, but that’s where things have ended up.
—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
As their husbands' fame grows, Sam and Cecily will have to confront whether or not their friendship can stay afloat too.
—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
25 June 2026
Co-directed by Tseng Ying-ting and produced by DaMou Entertainment, the series centers on a young man’s effort to uncover the truth about his father’s death while keeping the family restaurant afloat.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afloat
Adjective
-
Companies with a smaller market value generally tend to have more floating rate debt than larger businesses.
-
Social media posts and years of reviewing cookie-cutter luxury hotels had conditioned me to equate floating breakfasts, monogrammed accessories, butler service, and aromatherapy menus as markers of a dreamy luxury vacation.
Adverb
-
Of course, James spent a great part of his life abroad, and toward the end of his life became a British citizen.
-
The legislation faced sharp criticism at home and abroad, and thousands of Slovaks repeatedly took to the streets to protest the law.
Adverb
-
The retro ensemble caught the attention of fans and press everywhere.
-
Pull-on pants are everywhere this summer, offering a welcome alternative to uncomfortable, constrictive options.
Cite this Entry
“Afloat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afloat. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
