Meaning & use
keep afloat
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Meanings
phraseintransitive
To stay on the surface of water and not sink.
Grammar: No object; the subject is the person or thing that stays on the water.
Patterns
- keep afloat in something
The life jacket helped him keep afloat until the rescue boat arrived.
She struggled to keep afloat in the rough sea.
The raft kept afloat even after hitting the rocks.
phraseintransitivefigurative
To have just enough money to pay debts and continue operating.
Grammar: No object; often used about businesses or personal finances.
Patterns
- keep afloat financially
- keep the business afloat
Many small shops are struggling to keep afloat during the recession.
He took a second job to keep afloat after his hours were cut.
The company borrowed money to keep afloat for another year.
Common combinations
- keep afloat financially
- They had to sell their car to keep afloat financially.
- struggle to keep afloat
- The charity struggled to keep afloat after donations fell.
- keep the business afloat
- A small loan helped keep the business afloat.
- keep afloat in the water
- The child learned to keep afloat in the water without help.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stay afloat
- Nearly the same; 'stay afloat' often suggests a state rather than an active effort.
- survive
- Broader; used for any difficult situation, not just water or money.
- float
- Means to be on the surface, but does not imply continuing to do so over time.
Opposites
Commonly confused: keep afloat or keep afloat of?
keep afloat vs keep afloat of
Incorrect; the correct phrase is 'keep afloat' without 'of'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'keep afloat' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Keep afloat' is intransitive and means to stay out of financial trouble. Option B wrongly adds an object; C and D use incorrect prepositions.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “keep afloat”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.