underwater

adjective

un·​der·​wa·​ter ˌən-dər-ˈwȯ-tər How to pronounce underwater (audio)
-ˈwä-
1
: lying, growing, worn, performed, or operating below the surface of the water
underwater plants
2
: being below the waterline of a ship
3
a
: having, relating to, or being a mortgage loan for which more is owed than the property securing the loan is worth
b
: having, relating to, or being a stock option for which the price of the option is higher than the current market value of the stock
underwater adverb

Examples of underwater in a Sentence

underwater plants don't require as much light to grow as surface plants a vessel designed for underwater exploration
Recent Examples on the Web Chicago’s Cook County had 15 percent of homes underwater. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024 Three researchers maneuvered through the darkness of an underwater cave in Japan. Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Off the southern coast of the island is a beach called Playa El Cielo, famous for the thousands of underwater starfish scattered across the fine white sand, much like stars in the sky. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 1 Mar. 2024 Photograph: Dora Dalton/Getty Images A combination of AI, a wild 1970s plan to build underwater cities, and a designer creating furniture on the seabed around the Bahamas might be the solution to the widespread destruction of coral reefs. Stephen Armstrong, WIRED, 26 Feb. 2024 The competition is based in the United Kingdom, which, according to UPY, has a rich history of underwater photography contests. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Feb. 2024 Central Command in recent days acknowledged destroying an underwater bomb-carrying Houthi drone. Jon Gambrell, Quartz, 22 Feb. 2024 Biscayne National Park is 95 percent underwater, including the Florida Reef, which is the only living coral barrier reef in the United States. Jessica Poitevien, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2024 Orcas can hold their breath up to 15 minutes underwater, but usually surface every 3 to 5 minutes when doing deeper dives. Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'underwater.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of underwater was in 1627

Dictionary Entries Near underwater

Cite this Entry

“Underwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underwater. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

underwater

adjective
un·​der·​wa·​ter ˈən-dər-ˈwȯt-ər How to pronounce underwater (audio)
-ˈwät-
: lying, growing, worn, performed, or operating below the surface of the water
underwater plants
an underwater cave
underwater
-ˈwȯt-
-ˈwät-
adverb

Legal Definition

underwater

adjective
un·​der·​wa·​ter
1
: owing more on a mortgage loan than the property securing the loan is worth
underwater homeowners
2
: being or relating to a mortgage loan in which more is owed than the property securing the loan is worth
underwater mortgages
underwater properties

More from Merriam-Webster on underwater

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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