Definition of rip current
: a strong usually narrow surface current flowing outward from a shore that results from the return flow of waves and wind-driven water
Examples of rip current in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web The group was caught in a rip current and managed to reach the shore, except for one missing person.
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Lynnette Cantos, orlandosentinel.com, "Authorities in search of missing swimmer in Volusia County," 24 Oct. 2020 First responders searched the rough waters off the coast of Pacifica Tuesday after a man was swept into a rip current by a powerful wave.
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Nora Mishanec, SFChronicle.com, "Search underway for missing person swept out to sea in Pacifica," 8 Dec. 2020 Epsilon’s large swells will bring life-threatening surf and rip current conditions to South Florida’s beaches.
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Chris Perkins, sun-sentinel.com, "Hurricane Epsilon down to 85 mph winds, still maintaining Category 1 status," 22 Oct. 2020 Ocean swells from the storm are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
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Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, "Epsilon becomes 10th hurricane of the season; warning issued as storm nears Bermuda," 21 Oct. 2020 Large ocean swells generated by the hurricane could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions along U.S. East Coast and Atlantic Canada during the next couple of days.
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N'dea Yancey-bragg, USA TODAY, "Tropical Storm Zeta expected to strengthen into a hurricane before hitting Mexico, Gulf Coast," 26 Oct. 2020 Large ocean swells generated by the hurricane could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions along the U.S. East Coast and Atlantic Canada during the next couple of days.
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NBC News, "New storm Zeta a hurricane threat to Mexico, U.S. Gulf Coast," 25 Oct. 2020 Paulette brought heavy rains to Bermuda while also producing swells, generating life-threatening rip current and surf conditions as far away as the southeastern U.S., the NHC said.
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Richard Tribou, orlandosentinel.com, "Hurricane Sally strengthens to Category 2, brings 'catastrophic flooding’ to Gulf Coast," 16 Sep. 2020 In the Florida Panhandle, a 19-year-old tourist from Illinois died Saturday after being caught in a rip current in the Gulf of Mexico near Destin, the Okaloosa County sheriff's office said.
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NBC News, "3 deaths linked to Hurricane Delta or aftermath in Louisiana, Florida," 12 Oct. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rip current.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Time Traveler for rip current
The first known use of rip current was in 1936
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