ill afford
idiom
: to be unable to afford : to be unable to do (something) without having problems or being seriously harmed
She bought a new car, which she could ill afford.
We can ill afford more bad publicity.
Examples of ill afford in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But even as hiring slows down, businesses can ill afford for a hiring freeze to turn into a talent freeze.
—
René Janssen, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
The Padres can ill afford to lose King, who leads their rotation with a 3.26 ERA.
—Dennis Lin, The Athletic, 27 July 2024
Besides, Switzerland’s deals with the EU took over 20 years to negotiate, time the United Kingdom can ill afford.
—Swati Dhingra, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2016
This means Republicans can ill afford any defections on full House votes to achieve a full simple majority, as a 216-216 tie would block any legislation.
—Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ill afford 
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René Janssen, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
The Padres can ill afford to lose King, who leads their rotation with a 3.26 ERA.
—Dennis Lin, The Athletic, 27 July 2024
Besides, Switzerland’s deals with the EU took over 20 years to negotiate, time the United Kingdom can ill afford.
—Swati Dhingra, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2016
This means Republicans can ill afford any defections on full House votes to achieve a full simple majority, as a 216-216 tie would block any legislation.
—Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ill afford
Dictionary Entries Near ill afford
Cite this Entry
“Ill afford.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ill%20afford. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.
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