Definition of abaftnext
as in aft
near, toward, or in the stern of a ship or the tail of an aircraft the lookout in the crow's nest warned that there was an enemy frigate abaft and bearing down hard on their ship

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

abaft

2 of 2

preposition

as in behind
at, to, or toward the rear of a school of porpoises swam abaft the fishing boat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abaft
Adverb
  • Also of note is the Dusk Bar, which sits aft on Deck 10 and is stocked with interesting spirits.
    David Swanson, Travel + Leisure, 27 May 2024
  • Bars and Restaurants The best seat in the house was aft, on the Lido deck, soaking up the Mediterranean sunshine with a flute of Champagne.
    Helen Iatrou, Travel + Leisure, 30 Nov. 2023
Preposition
  • The statues of Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion, spend the better part of a decade behind closed shutters.
    Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • By halftime, baldness crept between the hashmarks, especially on Highmark Stadium’s south end (to the right if sitting behind the Bills bench).
    Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abaft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abaft. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on abaft

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster