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
Because of the absence of liquid water on Mars’s surface today, those rusty red minerals were thought to arise from dry iron oxides present in the dust, such as hematite. Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2025 On the surface, this shift has the potential to accelerate China’s ascent as a global power, potentially granting the world’s second-largest economy space to win more allies, boost its global leadership and shift global norms and rules – such as those on human rights or security – in its favor. Simone McCarthy, CNN, 26 Feb. 2025
Verb
Prior to the 2023 draft, a report surfaced that quarterback C.J. Stroud performed poorly on the exam. Cale Clinton, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025 The Super Bowl invite controversy with the Eagles started on Sunday after reports surfaced that the team would not accept an invitation from Trump to attend the White House, based on the aforementioned article in The Sun. Washington Examiner Staff, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 26 Feb. 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
  • Not to mention the color, durability, extra storage, and waterproof exterior were perfect!
    Jennifer Vermeer, Travel + Leisure, 24 Feb. 2025
  • The exterior of the machine just needs a wipedown with a damp cloth.
    Michelle Love, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The chain has been stumbling since filing for bankruptcy in 2019 and has struggled to stay relevant among emerging brands and cheap online options including Shein and Fashion Nova.
    Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2025
  • Since the discovery of the feather and the London and Berlin specimens, additional Archaeopteryx fossils have emerged, all from the Solnhofen region.
    Scott Travers, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The shift may not only draw anger from Israel's emboldened far right but also aggravate divisions within Trump's own administration between an old conservative guard seeking a more assertive posture on Iran and the rising cadre of Trump loyalists who more closely share the president's vision.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Graffiti, street stickers, and paintings dot the streets, suggesting that millions of Berliners bike through an invisible Fourth Reich that is rising all around them.
    Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • There are a couple of superficial parallels to the present day.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2025
  • But her natural effervescence is largely wasted by an execution that’s so painfully superficial the show feels like a parody of itself.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Sami Zayn Toronto native Drake was in attendance for WWE Elimination Chamber, seated in the front row.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
  • As a result, the front of the Toyota Camry struck a light pole and continued traveling in a southerly direction.
    Elainie Barraza, Orlando Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • But the problem on the tour most likely wouldn’t have arisen in Illinois, whose legislators noticed a problem and addressed it.
    Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Keeping her connected to what was happening kept her up to speed and prepared whenever challenges inevitably arose.
    Dustin Lemick, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • According to Storyful, the fish was spotted along shallow waters of a Baja California Sur beach on Feb. 9.
    Jessica Botelho, Baltimore Sun, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Lake Louise is the classic place for skating in the national park, but closer to Banff, the Vermilion Lakes, 1.5 miles from town and reassuringly shallow, make a good alternative.
    Cindy Hirschfeld, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The downside, warn many of the officials who appear in Disclosure, is that keeping this information secret and compartmentalized within the government and the military industrial complex could result in an intelligence failure exponentially worse than what happened with 9/11.
    Johnny Dodd, People.com, 8 Mar. 2025
  • That appeared to have been the start of a wider onslaught by Assad loyalists, who launched coordinated attacks on government positions in the country’s northwest, killing and imprisoning members of the security forces.
    Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Surface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surface. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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