surge

1 of 2

verb

surged; surging

intransitive verb

1
: to rise and fall actively : toss
a ship surging in heavy seas
2
: to rise and move in waves or billows : swell
the sea was surging
3
: to slip around a windlass, capstan, or bitts
used especially of a rope
4
: to rise suddenly to an excessive or abnormal value
the stock market surged to a record high
5
: to move with a surge or in surges
felt the blood surging into his faceHarry Hervey
she surged past the other runners

transitive verb

: to let go or slacken gradually
surge a rope

surge

2 of 2

noun

1
: a swelling, rolling, or sweeping forward like that of a wave or series of waves
a surge of interest
2
a
: a large wave or billow : swell
b(1)
: a series of such swells or billows
(2)
: the resulting elevation of water level
3
a
: a movement (such as a slipping or slackening) of a rope or cable
b
: a sudden jerk or strain caused by such a movement
4
: a transient sudden rise of current or voltage in an electrical circuit

Examples of surge in a Sentence

Verb We all surged toward the door. She surged past the other runners. Thoughts of what could happen were surging through his mind. Housing prices have surged in recent months. Interest in the sport has been surging. Noun The sport is enjoying a surge in popularity. a surge of support for the candidate There was a sudden surge toward the door. There has been a surge of immigrants into the city.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Related article Key takeaways from the Fed’s rate decision and Powell’s press conference Europe’s manufacturers have spent the best part of the past two years grappling with steep energy costs, which surged after Russia invaded Ukraine. Anna Cooban, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, chocolate confectioners and cocoa bean importers like Barry Callebaut, Cargill, Hershey, Mars, Nestlé and Mondelez International are being battered by rising prices, with cocoa futures contracts surging 215% between January and March. Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024 The winner will play No. 8 Kansas or No. 9 Michigan in the second round on Monday. USC (26-5) surged back into the national spotlight behind freshman star JuJu Watkins to make back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances for the first time since 2004-06. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2024 International systems are feared, economic protectionism has surged, and societies are once again splitting into opposing political camps. TIME, 18 Mar. 2024 Overnight Ian had moved slowly and violently over the state’s interior, dropping historic amounts of rain, after coming ashore in southwest Florida as a category 4 hurricane, its high winds and storm surge flattening coastal communities there. Amy Green, WIRED, 16 Mar. 2024 About 100 meters in, Parker caught her, then surged ahead with a good lead on the inside track. Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024 Many of Amos’ songs built toward surging, anthemic alt-pop hooks with unsettlingly direct lyrics like that. Cat Cardenas, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2024 Racial diversity surged at Johns Hopkins in the last decade. Susan Svrluga, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024
Noun
Their participation also shows that the market’s surge is extending beyond tech giants. Krystal Hur, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024 Reddit today made its explosive debut on the New York Stock Exchange, an IPO largely driven by the surge of interest in data for training AI models. Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024 As Congress considers legislation that could ban TikTok in the United States, lawmakers are receiving a surge of threatening messages connected to popular video app. Cristiano Lima-Strong, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 Despite those positive signs, officials said the surge in transports is a concern. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2024 Mondelez, which owns Easter basket staple Cadbury, has been relying on price increases to counter the surge in cocoa prices. CBS News, 21 Mar. 2024 Paramount’s market cap after the stock surge was about $8.6 billion. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2024 That would essentially be a cut – a strong signal given the surge of migrants at the southern border and that immigration is a key wedge issue in an election year. Lauren Peller, ABC News, 18 Mar. 2024 The surge began in early 2021 and peaked in mid-2022. Angelo Fichera, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'surge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

earlier, to ride (at anchor) probably in part from Middle French sourgir to cast anchor, land, from Catalan surgir to heave, cast anchor, from Latin surgere to rise, spring up; from sub- up + regere to lead straight; in part from Latin surgere — more at sub-, right

First Known Use

Verb

1511, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1520, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of surge was in 1511

Dictionary Entries Near surge

Cite this Entry

“Surge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surge. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

surge

1 of 2 verb
surged; surging
1
: to rise and fall actively
2
: to move in or as if in waves

surge

2 of 2 noun
1
: a swelling, rolling, or sweeping forward like that of a wave : an onward rush
a surge of support for the candidate
2
: a large wave or billow : swell

More from Merriam-Webster on surge

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