afford

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It is a game where he cannot afford to slip up, but I also feel like he needs a performance to go with the win everyone is expecting.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Mr. Farage, who at other times presents himself as something of a free-marketeer, presumably is smart enough to understand Britain can’t afford this.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Energy stock investors can afford to take some losses.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Now determining whether I can afford something has shifted from a guess every time I click “buy” to a math equation I actually know how to solve.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Fig and I couldn’t afford for this lemonade stand to fail.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas