life raft
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of life raft
First recorded in 1810–20
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.
Rising Treasury yields have put pressure on yield-sensitive investments like utilities, real-estate investment trusts and home-builder stocks, while the market has fallen back on a familiar life raft: tech stocks.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 27, 2026
“Go go go go go go! Lower the life raft, and get dressed quickly!” someone shouted in a combination of Chinese and English.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Carlson can sense a sinking ship, and he is jumping into a life raft.
From Salon ● Apr. 27, 2026
Hudson encourages the audience to use Claire’s stubborn buoyancy and perky accent as a life raft when Lightning & Thunder are deluged by extremely bad luck.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025
I tried to convince her that I knew what I was doing, but she was still clinging to the steering wheel like some wilting life raft when I got out of the Sunbird.
From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
