undertow

noun

un·​der·​tow ˈən-dər-ˌtō How to pronounce undertow (audio)
1
: the current beneath the surface that sets seaward or along the beach when waves are breaking upon the shore
2
: an underlying current, force, or tendency that is in opposition to what is apparent

Examples of undertow in a Sentence

Don't get caught in the undertow.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
As for the beaches, most guests don’t bother going, since the Atlantic side has dangerous undertows while the black-sand Caribbean one named Oranje is not particularly inviting. Alev Aktar, Robb Report, 29 Oct. 2024 And for a brief while, many observers sensed that the eternal undertow of Pakistani politics had somehow reversed. Aqil Shah, Foreign Affairs, 16 June 2023 And yet, there’s another group of women designers who feel the tug of the undertow of something darker, romantic, gothic (as in Mary Shelley, not Siouxsie Sioux, though maybe sometimes her too) and delightfully fragmented and fractured. Mark Holgate, Vogue, 12 Sep. 2024 Their post-hardcore venom sparks with a combination of acidic wit, biting humor and cutthroat frustration that reflects the lives of those caught in the undertow of the American dream. Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 4 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for undertow 

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of undertow was in 1817

Dictionary Entries Near undertow

Cite this Entry

“Undertow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undertow. Accessed 11 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

undertow

noun
un·​der·​tow ˈən-dər-ˌtō How to pronounce undertow (audio)
: a current beneath the surface of the water that moves away from or along the shore while the surface water above it moves toward the shore
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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