submerge

verb

sub·​merge səb-ˈmərj 

submerged; submerging

transitive verb

1

: to put under water

2

: to cover or overflow with water

3

: to make obscure or subordinate : suppress

personal lives submerged by professional responsibilities

intransitive verb

: to go under water

submergence

səb-ˈmər-jən(t)s 

noun

submergible

səb-ˈmər-jə-bəl 

adjective

Synonyms

• deluge
• drown
• engulf
• flood
• gulf
• inundate
• overflow
• overwhelm
• submerse
• swamp

Examples of submerge in a Sentence

After boiling the broccoli, submerge it in ice water to stop the cooking process.

The town was submerged by the flood.

We watched as the divers prepared to submerge.

She's a marvelous actress who submerges herself totally in her roles.

Recent Examples on the Web

It can be submerged in water, is lightweight and easy to set up, and shows accurate results to find your precious cargo (whether wheeled luggage or furry pup). —Madison Yauger, People.com, 8 Dec. 2024

The structure’s malleable form dives, emerges, and submerges into the landscape, intertwining with its natural surroundings. —Natalie Stoclet, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024

Avoid more intense vagal maneuvers, such as submerging your face in a bowl of cold water, unless directed to do them by a healthcare provider. 4. —Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 29 Nov. 2024

Now, after spending the past 146 years submerged in Lake Huron’s chilly waters, some of that rye may be getting a second life. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin submergere, from sub- + mergere to plunge — more at merge

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

submerge

verb

sub·​merge səb-ˈmərj 

submerged; submerging

1

: to put or go underwater

the whale submerged

2

: to cover or become covered with or as if with water

floods submerged the town