surface 1 of 3

as in exterior
an outer part or layer the surface of just about everything in the kitchen was covered with soot after we put the grease fire out

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surface

2 of 3

verb

1
as in to emerge
to come to one's attention especially gradually or unexpectedly no information regarding the stolen car has surfaced since the police found it abandoned on a country road

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2
as in to rise
to penetrate the surface (as of water) from below a submarine surfaced on the starboard side of the aircraft carrier

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surface

3 of 3

adjective

as in superficial
lying on or affecting only the outer layer of something a surface stain on the wood that can easily be removed with a mild detergent

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of surface
Noun
Joseph Dempsey, an analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, wrote in a January blog post that Pyongyang has only two principal surface combatants. Gawon Bae, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2025 Step 1: Vacuum Pet Bed Before machine washing a pet bed or pet bed cover, vacuum the surface to remove as much fur as possible. Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
In the intervening years, other evidence surfaced, including an informant who implicated Ferguson in 1997 and again in 2016. Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2025 Dreyer, a smart hustler, often surfaces in the right place in key moments. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
In it were tablets containing concentrated hand soap as well as multi-surface, glass and bathroom cleaners — and four empty containers. Susan Shain, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2023 The sub was fitted with six 533-millimeter torpedo tubes and carried a mix of both anti-surface and anti-submarine weapons. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 23 Dec. 2022 See All Example Sentences for surface
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surface
Noun
  • Trending Video 3 Interior Designers Transform The Same Galley Kitchen The stainless steel exterior is smudge-resistant and minimalist, with hidden pocket handles.
    Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Additional Tips to Keep Your Hummingbird Feeder at Its Best Use a funnel to fill the feeder to avoid drips and spills on the exterior.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Several new details emerged from the digital analysis, many of them corroborating passenger accounts, BBC News reported.
    Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The six-person crew emerged from a staging hanger around 8:00 a.m. CDT with family and friends lining a small pathway, cheering and giving high-fives as the crew made their way to the launch site.
    Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Single-family housing starts rose 11.4 percent in February, the highest rate in a year, but are primarily happening in just one part of the country.
    Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025
  • The country’s Kospi stock index rose 0.56% after the announcement, while the won weakened 0.58% to trade at 1,422 against the dollar.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In both cases, the criticism is not completely superficial.
    Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The two who were shot suffered what police called superficial wounds and were hospitalized for their injuries.
    Mike Nolan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Players such as Tuch, who emerged as one of the best two-way forwards in the NHL this season, and Zucker, a reliable veteran who gets to the front of the net and plays a no-nonsense game, are vital pieces to a winning team.
    Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
  • But there is much less sign of these machines at the front.
    David Hambling, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Montgomery County Public Schools, where the issue being contested arose, did not reply to TIME’s request for comment.
    Solcyré Burga, Time, 22 Apr. 2025
  • The other is informal, arising from civil society, in which gangs, strongmen, vigilante groups, neighborhood watches, and political and religious organizations enforce norms, frequently through violence.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • These 36 words included anti-flag, betray, crisis, disgrace, failure, incompetent, liberal, radical, shallow, taxes, traitors, and welfare.
    Eli Amdur, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Although the Loire is France’s longest river, traditional river boats can’t ply its shallow waters.
    Jeri Clausing, AFAR Media, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • After the risk assessment, the brothers will appear at independent parole board hearings on June 13, Newsom said.
    Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2025
  • These concerns appeared to strike a chord—at least in part—with U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken, who brought up the issue several times during this week’s fairness hearing over whether to grant the settlement’s final approval.
    Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 11 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Surface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surface. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.

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