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
Pretty cut and dry on the surface, but how Colorado has climbed to the top of the standings might give some people pause about making that statement. Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025 Yaheetech Lift-Top Coffee Table, $73 with Prime This stylish coffee table has a lift-top surface that, when open, reveals hidden storage. Kaitlin Gates, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
When Nantambu's link to the incidents surfaced online, Brown responded. Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025 The views are stunning, with dense jungle lining the riverbanks and pink dolphins occasionally surfacing around dawn and dusk. Aaron Randolph, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
Its dual-tank water system keeps clean and dirty water separate, while the multi-surface brush roll handles sealed hard floors and rugs. Caitlyn Martyn May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025 However, they were limited to single steps to tackle multi-surface flooring and not intended for use on stairs. PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for surface
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surface
Noun
  • On the day of the crash, the FBI collected pictures of the car’s exterior, paint samples and other evidence, according to an affidavit filed by the Justice Department.
    Omar Jimenez, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Diehard fans would recognize the cozy exterior of Meredith's house anywhere, and those who live in Seattle can even drive by it.
    Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Soeren Stache | Picture Alliance | Getty Images Microsoft is giving employees a way to raise concerns about the uses of its technology after controversy emerged over the company's work in the Middle East.
    Jordan Novet, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The first indication that dark energy may not be as dominant as previously thought emerged courtesy of the first results from DESI in Spring 2024.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • But Vanderbilt, as attention, pressure and fatigue rise on a pursuit no one outside its camp expected, is essentially two teams with two games left in the 2025 regular season.
    Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Water levels of small streams may also rise rapidly.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Camacho’s sister, who placed the 911 call, had also been injured, suffering superficial cuts and bleeding from her mouth, officials said.
    Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025
  • This is not the time for superficial love.
    Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 2 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Britain ultimately lost not only because of Washington’s extraordinary tenacity in the war’s several mainland theaters, but also because the king’s men had to stage long sieges, wage desperate naval battles, and take mounting casualties on too many other fronts spread too far apart.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
  • But even as the governor touts the state’s climate achievements, his broader agenda faces friction on two fronts — from federal rollbacks that legally challenge California’s own state-level green authority, and from questions over his own commitment to phasing out fossil fuels.
    Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • These measures arise as essential staff—particularly air traffic controllers—have been working without paychecks.
    Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The conflict could also arise over other core values, such as how to raise kids or what activities to prioritize in the relationship.
    Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The wreckage is slowly being subsumed by the reef in the shallow blue waters of the tropical lagoon, but its story is far from over.
    Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
  • The following morning, their dead bodies were found in a shallow ditch.
    Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Eli Lilly is similarly developing a new injectable GLP-1, retatrutide, that appears to be even more effective than the current drugs on the market—and which the company confirmed is not currently included in its agreement with the White House.
    Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 7 Nov. 2025
  • One form Asks whether the tree appears To exhibit a history of failures.
    MaKshya Tolbert, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Surface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surface. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.

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