sub·sur·face
ˈsəb-ˌsər-fəs 
: earth material (such as rock) near but not exposed at the surface of the ground
sub·sur·face
ˌsəb-ˈsər-fəs
: of, relating to, or being something located beneath a surface and especially underground
Examples of subsurface in a Sentence
Adjective
a sandy wasteland that gave little hint of its subsurface wealth
Recent Examples on the Web
Andrew Jones, Space.com, 26 Apr. 2025
The mineral rights to the land are owned by the Collier family, which sold much of the land for the preserve to the federal government 50 years ago, but retained the subsurface rights.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025
Liz Kruesi, Discover Magazine, 28 Oct. 2015
An entire ocean’s worth is unlikely, but a significant amount of subsurface water isn’t.
—John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, 8 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for subsurface
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Noun
Beneath the moon's icy crust, scientists think there's a subsurface ocean of salty water, adding to the possibilities for Titan to harbor life.
—Andrew Jones, Space.com, 26 Apr. 2025
The mineral rights to the land are owned by the Collier family, which sold much of the land for the preserve to the federal government 50 years ago, but retained the subsurface rights.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
So Marco Mastrogiuseppe, a researcher on the Cassini team who had used instruments like RADAR to map subsurface water on Mars, decided to try something.
—Liz Kruesi, Discover Magazine, 28 Oct. 2015
An entire ocean’s worth is unlikely, but a significant amount of subsurface water isn’t.
—John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, 8 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for subsurface
Cite this Entry
“Subsurface.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subsurface. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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