surf

noun

\ˈsərf

Definition of surf

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the swell of the sea that breaks upon the shore

2 : the foam, splash, and sound of breaking waves

surf

verb

surfed; surfing; surfs

Definition of surf (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to ride the surf (as on a surfboard)

2 : to scan a wide range of offerings for something of interest

transitive verb

: to scan the offerings of (such as television or the Internet) for something of interest

Other Words from surf Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about surf

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms for surf

Synonyms: Noun

foam, froth, head, lather, spume, suds

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: Noun

Large swells are expected in Bermuda and portions of the East Coast that could cause life-threatening surf and rip currents. — Katherine Lam, Fox News, "Florence strengthens into a hurricane, threatens to hit Southeast US," 2 Oct. 2018 Large swells affecting Bermuda and portions of the U.S. East Coast will continue this week, resulting in life-threatening surf and rip currents. — Brian Resnick, Vox, "Hurricane Florence: what we know about the powerful storm heading for the Carolinas," 10 Sep. 2018 The hurricane is expected to cause dangerous surf and swells as well. — Arian Campo-flores, WSJ, "Hurricane Lane Forecast to Dump 30 Inches of Rain on Hawaii," 23 Aug. 2018 The National Hurricane Center advises the swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions over the next few days forsome portions of the coast from North Carolina to some mid-Atlantic states. — CBS News, "Hurricane Chris strengthens as it moves away from U.S.," 10 July 2018 These swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. — Jason Samenow, Washington Post, "Tropical Storm Chris predicted to strengthen to a hurricane by Tuesday off the coast of the Carolinas," 9 July 2018 Aside from the usual restaurants and bars, this cruise ship includes a virtual reality bungee trampoline, two racer water slides, a glow-in-the-dark laser tag room, an escape room, and a surf simulator. — Renae Reints, Fortune, "Royal Caribbean Aims to Appeal to Millennials with Shorter Trips and More Entertainment," 26 June 2018 There is also a laser tag zone set up on top of an ice rink, the signature 40-foot-long surf simulator and three-story racing water slides. — Ellie Rushing, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Royal Caribbean invests $120 million in one ship for short Bahamas cruises," 25 June 2018 Its top deck offers a zip line, surf simulator and dueling water slides. — Rosemary Mcclure, latimes.com, "Small-ship experiences may be long on luxury, never mind unusual destinations," 11 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Meghan and Harry flew home today, surfing a tidal wave of popularity following a near flawless tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand. — Juliet Rieden, Town & Country, "Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Tour of Australia Is Crucial to the Future of the Monarchy," 1 Nov. 2018 Hurricane Willa with winds of 145 mph (230 kph) headed toward a Tuesday afternoon landfall along a stretch of Mexico’s Pacific coast dotted with high-rise resorts, surfing beaches and fishing villages. — Maria Verza, The Seattle Times, "Dangerous Cat 4 Hurricane Willa closes in on Mexico coast," 22 Oct. 2018 During the beach visit, Meghan and Harry met with members of OneWave, a local surfing community group raising awareness for mental health and wellbeing. — Kayleigh Roberts, Harper's BAZAAR, "Meghan Markle Cradling Her Baby Bump in Sydney Is So Cute," 19 Oct. 2018 Family AdventuresMerrill is a pro at keeping families with older children happy, running guided hikes on the Camino de Santiago, surfing expeditions to Peru, or polo-playing adventures in Argentina. — Paul Brady, Condé Nast Traveler, "2018 Top Travel Specialists We Trust," 19 Oct. 2018 The idea is that users in big groups — like a book club or surfing club — will be able to have smaller conversations about things like local meetups that may not be relevant to the entire group. — Chaim Gartenberg, The Verge, "Facebook is adding support for 250-person chats in Groups," 11 Oct. 2018 From Greg Brady’s surfing wipeout on The Brady Bunch to Joey falling for a hula dancer on Full House, depictions of Hawaii in popular culture have typically ranged from brainless to downright offensive. — Annemarie Conte, Woman's Day, "I Took My Daughter to Hawaii to Teach Her How to Be a Better Traveler," 1 Aug. 2018 Among European leaders, Mr. Orban was early to surf a wave of anti-immigration sentiment that has brought nationalist parties to power in neighboring Austria and Slovenia. — Drew Hinshaw, WSJ, "EU to Take Legal Action Over Hungary’s Hardline Migrant Policies," 19 July 2018 Knox surfed alongside his son that warm and sunny day. — Gustavo Solis, sandiegouniontribune.com, "How do you run a surf shop when sewage spills constantly close the beach?," 27 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'surf.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.