afloat

adjective or adverb

Synonyms of afloatnext
1
a
: borne on or as if on the water
b
: being at sea
2
: free of difficulties : self-sufficient
the inheritance kept them afloat for years
3
a
: circulating about
Silly rumors were afloat.
b
: adrift

Examples of afloat in a Sentence

the boat can't stay afloat much longer
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
After being blackballed from the finance sector, Coop resorts to burglarizing the homes of those in his social circle and pawning the items to stay afloat. Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026 Burglarizing the homes of those in his social circle and pawning the items just to stay afloat. Ryan Brennan april 1, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026 Gen Zers may be turning their tassels, flying the nest, and securing their first full-time jobs—but many are still bankrolled by mom and dad to stay afloat. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026 Across the country, stations have held funding drives and urged communities to make donations in order to stay afloat. Stephany Matat, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026 Small businesses need tourism to remain afloat but visitors should be mindful of traveling to areas where recovery efforts are underway. Tiare-Leiana Solis-Ridgell, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026 Tatum handled things fine with his supporting cast, but Brown's contributions this past season have kept the Celtics ship afloat. Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026 Abandoned by her husband, Schiaparelli takes odd jobs, some via Picabia, to keep afloat. Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2026 Last month Carr told Semafor that moving sports behind paywalls undermines a mission to keep local news afloat. Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 26 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English aflote, going back to Old English aflote, on flote, from a- a- entry 1, on on entry 1 + flote, dative of flot "deep water, sea" — more at float entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of afloat was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Afloat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afloat. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

afloat

adjective or adverb
1
a
: carried on or as if on the water
b
: being at sea
2
: circulating about : rumored
there was a story afloat

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