1
: the swell of the sea that breaks upon the shore
2
: the foam, splash, and sound of breaking waves
surfed; surfing; surfs
1
: to ride the surf (as on a surfboard)
2
: to scan a wide range of offerings for something of interest
: to scan the offerings of (such as television or the Internet) for something of interest
surfer
noun
Examples of surf in a Sentence
Noun
We could hear the roar of the surf.
beachgoers romping in the swirling surf
Verb
He learned to surf when he was living in California.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Enquirer, 9 Apr. 2024
Straddling Melbourne Beach and Vero Beach, Sebastian Inlet State Park is a haven for anyone who likes to fish, surf, or simply stroll the sand for miles.
—Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2024
Pretty much all of California can expect to have some cold, wet weather from this storm — from snow in the mountains to dangerous surf along the coast.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
And in the surf town of Nosara, nestled on the Central American nation’s Nicoya Peninsula, healthspan-boosting practices like saunas and cold therapy feel especially apt.
—Julia Eskins, Vogue, 4 Apr. 2024
Sign up for surf and stand-up paddleboard lessons at Surf Diva Surf School, considered the gold standard of surf schools worldwide.
—Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 1 Apr. 2024
Funds from the event go toward the nonprofit Urban Surf 4 Kids, which provides surf therapy for homeless youths and to foster children.
—The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2024
Hanalei and Kealia Poke, Kauai This poke shop is located in the historic Ching Young Village in the funky surf town of Hanalei on Kauai’s North Shore.
—Ben Davidson, The Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2024
The video ends as the crocodile pulls the bird back into the surf and turns around to enjoy its tasty snack.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2024
Marta Balaga, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024
The Hawaii native, 31, has been surfing since age five at her home break at Waikiki Beach on O'ahu's South Shore.
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
Other features This Explorer digital experience allows for the playing of video games, watching movies and surfing the web.
—Detroit Free Press, 1 Feb. 2024
The waters around Lighthouse Field State Beach, in Santa Cruz, California, are beautiful to look at, but surfing here is something else.
—Tracy Smith, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2024
Wright might never surf the fender of a moving train, but he’s nailed how to make audiences see the churn inside a stubborn literature professor who buries his emotions under concrete.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
South Padre Island has sand dunes, sea turtles, and even surfing.
—Pam Leblanc, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Mar. 2024
Despite our best efforts to turn surfing into yet another item that can be shared via social media, optimized for negative engagement, and captured by the Internet’s ideology, the ocean still exists.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2024
The Gees have visited more than 90 countries and gone on adventures like surfing in Fiji and safaris in Tanzania with her kids Dororthy, Manilla and Calihan, whose ages range from 6 to 11.
—USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
The sprawling dining room – with its surf shack-meets-1980s-roadhouse vibe – seems to go on forever, housing as many tables as a German beer hall and three full-service bars.
—The Enquirer, 9 Apr. 2024
Straddling Melbourne Beach and Vero Beach, Sebastian Inlet State Park is a haven for anyone who likes to fish, surf, or simply stroll the sand for miles.
—Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2024
Pretty much all of California can expect to have some cold, wet weather from this storm — from snow in the mountains to dangerous surf along the coast.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
And in the surf town of Nosara, nestled on the Central American nation’s Nicoya Peninsula, healthspan-boosting practices like saunas and cold therapy feel especially apt.
—Julia Eskins, Vogue, 4 Apr. 2024
Sign up for surf and stand-up paddleboard lessons at Surf Diva Surf School, considered the gold standard of surf schools worldwide.
—Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 1 Apr. 2024
Funds from the event go toward the nonprofit Urban Surf 4 Kids, which provides surf therapy for homeless youths and to foster children.
—The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2024
Hanalei and Kealia Poke, Kauai This poke shop is located in the historic Ching Young Village in the funky surf town of Hanalei on Kauai’s North Shore.
—Ben Davidson, The Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2024
The video ends as the crocodile pulls the bird back into the surf and turns around to enjoy its tasty snack.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2024
Verb
The content studios have surfed the way of ‘Peak TV’ and now are worried about what happens on the other side.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024
The Hawaii native, 31, has been surfing since age five at her home break at Waikiki Beach on O'ahu's South Shore.
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
Other features This Explorer digital experience allows for the playing of video games, watching movies and surfing the web.
—Detroit Free Press, 1 Feb. 2024
The waters around Lighthouse Field State Beach, in Santa Cruz, California, are beautiful to look at, but surfing here is something else.
—Tracy Smith, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2024
Wright might never surf the fender of a moving train, but he’s nailed how to make audiences see the churn inside a stubborn literature professor who buries his emotions under concrete.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
South Padre Island has sand dunes, sea turtles, and even surfing.
—Pam Leblanc, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Mar. 2024
Despite our best efforts to turn surfing into yet another item that can be shared via social media, optimized for negative engagement, and captured by the Internet’s ideology, the ocean still exists.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2024
The Gees have visited more than 90 countries and gone on adventures like surfing in Fiji and safaris in Tanzania with her kids Dororthy, Manilla and Calihan, whose ages range from 6 to 11.
—USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'surf.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near surf
Cite this Entry
“Surf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surf. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
surf
1 of 2 noun1
: waves that break upon the shore
2
: the foam, splash, and sound of breaking waves
surf
2 of 2 verb1
: to ride the surf (as on a surfboard)
2
: to scan the offerings of (as television or the Internet) for something of interest
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