rafts 1 of 2

noun

plural of raft
as in loads
a considerable amount the babysitter had to listen to a whole raft of rules before she was allowed to even pick up the baby

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rafts

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of raft
as in buoys

Related Words

Dissimilar 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 rafts
Noun
This type of maritime migration is different from the once-common arrivals of rafts and other homemade vessels that Cubans are known to use to escape their homeland, and the overloaded freighters and sailboats used by people fleeing Haiti. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026 The Coast Guard had dropped inflatable rafts in the water nearby, but the teen — who was suffering from hypothermia — was too weak to swim to them. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 13 Sep. 2026 Borders are porous; in jet planes and on rafts, desperate people cross oceans. — Robert Stone, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026 But there’s plenty to keep kids occupied here from pool toys and rafts to beachside games like jenga and bocce. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026 Some 680 rescuers eventually reached the Gyirong area by foot and via rafts. — Niranjan Shrestha, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 The group had been water tubing on the Muskegon River when their rafts, which were only meant to be used in a pool, broke apart and left them stranded, Jazman's mother, Teresa Hock, told WWMT. — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 Another historic beach club, Le Carillon (from 1937), features a stylish collaboration with Dolce & Gabbana, with the designers’ vivid Verde Maiolica pattern used for loungers, umbrellas, beach towels-- and even floating rafts. — Catherine Sabino, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Scientists will also be able to use satellite observations of the pumice rafts to hone estimates of the size of the eruption. — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 31 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rafts
  1. loads
  2. balloons
  3. dozens
  4. floats
  5. piles
  6. tons
  7. hundreds
  8. bundles
Noun
  • The deck replacement is necessary because traffic loads on the span have become increasingly heavy, and salt air has eroded bridge materials.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • According to Formlabs, this improves strength, toughness, heat resistance, and resistance to gradual deformation under sustained loads, while producing a harder, less tacky surface.
    — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of loads
Verb
  • Cut with a curved outer seam that balloons slightly through the thigh before tapering at the ankle, the shape is all about creating volume.
    — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 29 Dec. 2025
  • The mid-rise jeans have an exaggerated barrel silhouette that balloons out at the knee and tapers into a wide-leg fit at the ankle.
    — Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
Definition of balloons
Noun
  • Bajaria’s foresight was sharper, investing in local language productions and building up Netflix’s global presence (almost two dozen international offices were opened during Bajaria’s reign).
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Nearly a dozen people close to Trump cast doubt on reports of tension that Politico published on Thursday.
    — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of dozens
Verb
  • Each night, Musgraves floats over the audience, cozily nestled in a giant set of disco ball Truck Nutz.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • After customers complained about the oil that floats to the top of natural peanut butter, the company created a plastic container that could sit upside-down on grocery store shelves, Dana says.
    — Megan Sauer, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of floats
Noun
  • The Rest and Relax Inn in Pensacola, Florida, was surrounded by piles of debris after it was stripped of roofing materials during a heavy hit from the hurricane last night.
    — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Pictures show divers working among piles of ancient pottery, with ceramic plates and bowls scattered across the sandy seabed.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of piles
Noun
  • At that rate, removing one billion tons a year would consume almost 8 percent of all the electricity produced worldwide.
    — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • For context, burning fossil fuels produced about 38 billion tons in 2025.
    — Scott K. Johnson, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of tons
Noun
  • As a major bloc that has been able to apply pressure, the union has thwarted several efforts by Mamdani’s predecessors to ban the attraction, as hundreds of carriage operators make a living operating the buggies.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The Paris prosecutor’s office opened an investigation on Monday into an overnight cyberattack on refrigeration systems at hundreds of French supermarkets.
    — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of hundreds
Noun
  • Hotel bundles and Park & Ride shuttle passes will also go on sale Friday.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The 4-axis module is $699, the 5-axis module $1,099, the Flood Coolant module $799 and the Dust Collection module $599, with bundles such as the 5-Axis Clean-Cut Deluxe at $4,449 offering better value.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of bundles

Browse Nearby Words

rafting
rafts
rag
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Cite this Entry

“Rafts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rafts. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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