surface 1 of 3

noun

ˈsər-fəs How to pronounce surface (audio)
Definition of surfacenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
Clear overnight skies with light winds and low humidity levels will allow rapid cooling, with hard road surfaces cooling fast. — Ron Smiley, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 Step 2 Set a small bowl of room-temperature water on work surface for easy reaching. — Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
The clips of the event that surfaced show male dancers in cowboy hats dancing and stripping on stage, reports the Daily Mail. — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 The company has used AI to build more detailed profiles of shoppers and surface relevant products in search results. — Annie Palmer, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Adjective
Seahawk missions include anti-surface warfare, combat support, humanitarian disaster relief, and combat search and rescue, according to Naval Air Systems Command. — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 1 July 2026 After Friday’s 50-minute practice session — the Cup cars’ only time on the track before Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race — drivers were united in their concerns about the multi-surface circuit’s lack of grip, tight walls and fears of a high attrition rate in Sunday’s 75-lap feature. — Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for surface
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surface
  1. exterior
  2. emerge
  3. rise
  4. superficial
  5. front
  6. arise
  7. shallow
  8. appear
Noun
  • Beneath that Taylor Swift-loving exterior, there must be a Bin Laden fighting to get out.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • As head-turning as the concept’s exterior may be, its interior is where Sühlmann was best able to wed the brand’s past with its future.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of exterior
Verb
  • Some data centers are now being built at gigawatt scale—roughly the power demand of a small city, says Anuja Ratnayake, emerging technology executive at the Electric Power Research Institute.
    — Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The model became the first real hit in the emerging athletic shoe industry.
    — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of emerge
Verb
  • A couple of sections in the shade, on the home sideline, rose a bit more than 3%.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026
  • But then shipping disruptions, rising fuel costs, and steep international tariffs made exporting increasingly difficult, prompting Yu to turn her attention to building a domestic market.
    — Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of rise
Adjective
  • Vascular experts break down the differences between superficial and deep vein thromboses, the possibly life-threatening complication of pulmonary embolism and what treatment typically looks like.
    — Erica Sloan, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Hurts, 28, was diagnosed earlier this month with a superficial blood clot in his leg that then traveled to his lungs, developing into deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli, the Eagles said Monday in a joint statement with Hurts' agent.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of superficial
Noun
  • Fifth-year cornerback Jaden Mickey made some big stops, including a pass breakup, while the defensive front produced four sacks for 37 yards and seven tackles for loss.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Tampa Bay still led 4-3 when Rasmussen left the game, but the Rays made too many mistakes to stay in front.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of front
Verb
  • When the opportunity arises to work in person, however, Chater welcomes it.
    — Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 21 Oct. 2026
  • But because New Mexico was not part of the settlement, the state's data privacy case that arose from Meta's Cambridge Analytica scandal proceeded to trial in September.
    — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of arise
Adjective
  • The preacher was arrested in 2023 after police received a tip-off, and weeks later authorities began uncovering bodies in shallow graves in the Shakahola Forest near the coast in southeastern Kenya.
    — Jefferson Kahinju Reuters, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • It has been defined in slightly different ways over the years, but some of the traits commonly associated with psychopathy include pathological lying, extreme narcissism, shallow affect, impulsivity and lack of empathy and remorse.
    — David DeMatteo, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of shallow
Verb
  • Shifts among Latino voters, who represent sizable portions of the electorate in both states, and Trump’s sagging approval rating appear to be driving Democrats’ strength in redder areas.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • His death appeared to be the first fatality involving a horse carriage in Central Park since the rides began.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of appear

Phrases Containing surface

Browse Nearby Words

surf
surface
surfaced
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Surface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surface. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All