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

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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

In wealthy cities, the dog is everywhere, strolling through fancy shopping malls, sitting in the laps of restaurant patrons, even riding paddle boards out on the surf. — Anchorage Daily News, "The dog is one of the world’s most destructive mammals. Brazil proves it.," 21 Aug. 2019 Fishermen gather on the free town pier to try to catch dinner, while others chase blue crabs in the shallow surf. — Erica Jackson Curran, chicagotribune.com, "On the Eastern Shore, Virginia’s Cape Charles is in the midst of a small-town renaissance," 20 Aug. 2019 The plane may have broken up in the surf or floated away to sink in deep water. — Rachel Hartigan Shea, National Geographic, "Exclusive: Inside the search for Amelia Earhart’s airplane," 12 Aug. 2019 In early July, Rahem Mason, 17, disappeared into the surf at Michigan City, Indiana. — Dean Reynolds, CBS News, "Sixty killed this summer as drownings spike at the Great Lakes," 12 Aug. 2019 When developers and tourists ransacked early surf culture, Kahanamoku became a universal symbol of surfing’s intrinsic worth. — Dominic Umile, Los Angeles Times, "Review: A lover of surfing, AJ Dungo finds connection and solace in ‘In Waves’," 9 Aug. 2019 Swimmers come out of the surf and read another chapter with damp fingers before drifting off to the sounds of the waves. — Beth Thames | Bethmthames@gmail.com, al.com, "We need Little Free Libraries at the beach," 19 June 2019 In the first stage, called active learning, cells in different parts of the cortex — the outer layers of the brain — broadcast signals representing sensory information such as the screech of a seagull or the smell of the surf. — Quanta Magazine, "Mental Leaps Cued by Memory’s Ripples," 22 Oct. 2014 Still, the storm still could produce dangerous surf Friday, especially on the islands' east- and southeast-facing shores, the hurricane center said. — Jason Hanna And Dave Hennen, CNN, "Tropical Storm Erick lashes Hawaii with rain as Flossie approaches," 2 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

From hiking, surfing to exploring it’s natural beauty, Costa Rica is a grade A option. — Kimberly Wilson, Essence, "8 Last Minute Labor Day Destinations You Can Still Book Today," 29 Aug. 2019 Cascavilla, 43, who operates apartments in the Dallas area, surfed competitively when growing up. — David Tarrant, Dallas News, "Surf’s up: Wave pool, Crystal Lagoon among plans unveiled at town hall for new $1B Rowlett development," 9 Aug. 2019 Mine came at 18, in southwest France heading to surf the storied seaboard of the Pays Basque. — Jim Kempton, Orange County Register, "Follow the French: A look at the French influence on cuisine around the world," 2 Aug. 2019 Harris and Buttigieg are trying to surf between the two categories. — oregonlive.com, "Progressive-centrist divide helps Joe Biden as second Democratic presidential debate arrives: poll," 30 July 2019 Firefox was the first browser to block pop-up ads and allow users to surf anonymously, prompting commercial browsers to offer similar features. — The Economist, "What open-source culture can teach tech titans and their critics," 18 July 2019 In 2008, Sobonya came to Santa Cruz and was known to surf off West Cliff Drive. — Michael Todd, The Mercury News, "Santa Cruz District Attorney asks court to keep child predator in state hospital," 19 June 2019 Adults can sip cocktails as kids learn how to surf. — Anne Farrar, National Geographic, "Here’s why everyone is going to Portugal now," 18 June 2019 Paul Grenchick was surfing with friends along the Indiana shore of Lake Michigan on Thursday evening. — cleveland.com, "Cyanide from steel plant trickled into Lake Michigan for days before public was notified," 20 Aug. 2019

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.