keep afloat

1. To remain floating on the surface of a body of water. The sailor somehow managed to keep afloat for nearly an hour after being knocked overboard in the storm. Look at all the holes in the hull. There's no way this thing will keep afloat out there!

2.To cause or enable someone or something to remain floating on the surface of a body of water. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "keep" and "afloat." I managed to grab hold of a piece of driftwood, which kept me afloat until a rescue boat found me. These inflatable buoyancy bags are used to keep the boat afloat if its hull becomes compromised while at sea.

3. To remain financially solvent or viable; to not be overwhelmed by debt or financial difficulties. I lost my job unexpectedly, but thankfully I managed to keep afloat with several different freelance gigs until I found something more permanent. Many analysts are questioning the company's ability to keep afloat following the disastrous failure of its most recent product.

4. To cause or enable someone or something to remain financially solvent or viable, especially in the face of debt or financial difficulties. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "keep" and "afloat." He kept himself afloat working nights in a convenience store while he tried to find another job in the publishing industry. The government promised to keep afloat thousands of small- to medium-sized companies during the recession with an enormous stimulus package.