surge 1 of 2

noun

Definition of surgenext
as in wave
a moving ridge on the surface of water a huge surge nearly capsized the boat and drenched the hapless fishermen

Synonyms & Similar Words

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surge

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to spurt

Related Words

Dissimilar Words
2
as in to increase

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 surge
Noun
Pyroclastic surges travelled around 25 miles (40 km) across the Sunda Strait. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026 After an abnormally warm winter and a blistering March heat wave, California has seen a surge in mosquito activity that has driven West Nile virus activity to a five-year high. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
At that tipping point, the only solution is for oil prices to surge, destroying enough demand for oil that the market can return to equilibrium. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026 Homan has threatened to marshal those forces to surge operations in New York City and other sanctuary jurisdictions, where immigrants generally face lower risk of arrest and deportation. — Nick Miroff, The Atlantic, 26 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for surge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surge
  1. wave
  2. spurt
  3. increase
  4. swell
  5. stream
  6. rise
  7. gush
  8. jump
Noun
  • More than 22,000 Long Beach residents were temporarily without power Sunday night due to a Southern California Edison outage, all in the midst of a sweltering wave of heat.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Her series kick-started a wave of creators on both TikTok and Instagram centering their content on living life alone.
    — Amen Galinato, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of wave
Verb
  • However, Ormund is sickened by the blood spurting in his eyes, and Roddy turns the tables, using his remaining hand to stick a knife well into Ormund's backside.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Once opened, check for foul odors, cloudiness, or spurting liquid when opening.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 13 July 2026
Definition of spurt
Verb
  • Traffic through the strait is beginning to increase, but remains sharply depressed.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Boston increased its lead to 6-4 in the sixth on an RBI triple from Abreu when right fielder Jung Hoo Lee misplayed a line drive.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of increase
Noun
  • Prosecutors said Hernandez piloted the boat into a swell and had accelerated the throttle to try to pass through it until the swell swamped the bow of the boat, capsizing it immediately, a complaint alleged.
    — Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • About three hours and 20 minutes into the ride, Hernandez piloted the vessel in a U-turn, which investigators believed brought the boat into a swell caused by a larger passing boat.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of swell
Verb
  • Hearing aids were streaming sound directly from my iPhone more than two years before AirPods arrived.
    — Bill Schiffmiller, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Additional revenue streams with merchandise, sponsorships and ticket sales pile on.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of stream
Verb
  • The footage mixes high-speed chases and explosive action with comedic beats, framing a story built around chaos, mismatched heroism and rising stakes as the mission unfolds.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
  • With five minutes of task-specific data and 10 gradient steps, its average success rate rose to 83%.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of rise
Verb
  • And as Salfino wrote in his Zero RB column, Mitchell was a lightning-quick signing by the Chargers the moment free agency opened, with John Harbaugh gushing about how dangerous RBs with Mitchell’s speed can be.
    — Jess Bryant, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Ultimately, the bags didn’t stand a chance against the gushing water.
    — Jen Guadarrama, IndyStar, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of gush
Verb
  • Cox Automotive reported subcompact SUV sales jumped more than 23% year over year in June, while small and midsize pickup sales rose about 12%.
    — Beth Livesay, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • According to the report, two additional trespassing cases involved individuals jumping a boundary fence into the airport’s warehouse area.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of jump

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Cite this Entry

“Surge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surge. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on surge

Nglish: Translation of surge for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about surge

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