submarine

1 of 3

adjective

sub·​ma·​rine ˈsəb-mə-ˌrēn How to pronounce submarine (audio)
ˌsəb-mə-ˈrēn
: underwater
especially : undersea
submarine plants
submarine minerals

submarine

2 of 3

noun

1
: something that functions or operates underwater
specifically : a naval vessel designed to operate underwater
2
: a large sandwich on a long split roll with any of a variety of fillings (such as meatballs or cold cuts, cheese, lettuce, and tomato)

called also grinder, hero, hoagie, Italian sandwich, po'boy, sub, torpedo

submarine

3 of 3

verb

submarined; submarining

transitive verb

: to attack by or as if by a submarine : attack from beneath

intransitive verb

: to dive or slide under something

Examples of submarine in a Sentence

Adjective the submarine fossils that are to be found in coral reefs Noun always orders a roast beef submarine with the works
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
It is expected the Chinese submarine force to grow to 65 boats by 2025 and 80 by 2035 because of an expansion of submarine construction capacity. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025 Deep Blue Sea—Learn about our oceans while on submarine Sea Lab Alpha with underwater explorers Marina and Reef. Anna Halkidis, Parents, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
Rolls-Royce, which manufactures jet engines for commercial aircraft along with power systems for ships and submarines, reported 2024 operating profit of £2.46 billion, beating analyst expectations and reflecting an increase of 57% from the year prior. Sam Meredith, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2025 Hackman faced off with Denzel Washington as a Navy submarine captain who receives incomplete orders to launch nuclear warheads. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
Injuries have submarined the Sixers, who sit 11th in the Eastern Conference at 15-26. Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025 Nichushkin submarined the past two playoff runs, sent home during a first-round exit to Seattle in 2023 and banned hours before the puck dropped in Game 4 of the club’s second-round series against Dallas, leading to another premature elimination. Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for submarine

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1648, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1703, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1905, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of submarine was in 1648

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Submarine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/submarine. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

submarine

1 of 2 adjective
sub·​ma·​rine ˈsəb-mə-ˌrēn How to pronounce submarine (audio)
ˌsəb-mə-ˈrēn
: underwater
especially : undersea
submarine plants

submarine

2 of 2 noun
1
: a naval vessel designed to operate underwater
2
: a large sandwich on a long split roll

More from Merriam-Webster on submarine

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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