surface 1 of 3

noun

ˈsər-fəs How to pronounce surface (audio)
Definition of surfacenext
as in exterior
an outer part or layer the surface of just about everything in the kitchen was covered with soot after we put the grease fire out

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

surface

2 of 3

verb

1
as in to emerge
to come to one's attention especially gradually or unexpectedly no information regarding the stolen car has surfaced since the police found it abandoned on a country road

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2
as in to rise
to penetrate the surface (as of water) from below a submarine surfaced on the starboard side of the aircraft carrier

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surface

3 of 3

adjective

as in superficial
lying on or affecting only the outer layer of something a surface stain on the wood that can easily be removed with a mild detergent

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of surface
Noun
To create objects with collapsibility as a core feature, Toyonaga’s team devised an analytic design algorithm allowing incremental construction of complex scissored surfaces. — New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2026 Bake 10 to 12 minutes, till surface is set but layer remains pale and slightly soft. — ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
The accusations surfaced after the Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy (COGS) petitioned to have a court unseal the divorce records dating to 2012. — Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 Prior communication issues with Marine One The report said concerns about communications had surfaced days before the incident. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Adjective
After Friday’s 50-minute practice session — the Cup cars’ only time on the track before Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race — drivers were united in their concerns about the multi-surface circuit’s lack of grip, tight walls and fears of a high attrition rate in Sunday’s 75-lap feature. — Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 June 2026 Further, healthy conflict serves to challenge assumptions, surface unintended consequences and improve strategic judgment. — Terina Allen, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for surface
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surface
  1. exterior
  2. emerge
  3. rise
  4. superficial
  5. front
  6. arise
  7. shallow
  8. appear
Noun
  • The interior is probably the biggest improvement without having the same visually jarring impact the exterior’s changes have.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Common use cases include aircraft fuselages, drone wings, train exteriors, commercial truck bodies, and architectural membranes.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of exterior
Verb
  • Campbell emerged as a core special teamer as camp progressed.
    — Dan Duggan, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Dylan Kupsh, 27, emerged as a vocal UCLA protester and an outlier in the campus movement.
    — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of emerge
Verb
  • Analysts note that following SpaceX's record-breaking IPO last month, investor interest in commercial spaceflight and the broader space sector has risen steadily.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Alphabet’s stock is down more than 15% from its May peak, wiping out roughly $700 billion in value, as concerns rise over its mounting AI bills and failure to produce a decisive technological breakthrough.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of rise
Adjective
  • The privileges of Jover’s life appear entirely superficial, even a bit alien, when contrasted with her granddaughter’s narrative thread.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
  • So, when the next challenge arises, managers can move past superficial symptoms and identify the underlying organizational roadblocks.
    — Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of superficial
Noun
  • Although not quite as polished on the racial politics front, Lanterns’s third episode is no less intriguing, as an hour of television dedicated not only to answering pressing questions but fleshing out its lead character in disturbing ways.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The California Pizza Kitchen Story is like two-books-in-one on this front.
    — Caroline Ceniza-Levine, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of front
Verb
  • The same evaluation process may hold promise for other forms of childhood dementia that arise from single-gene mutations.
    — Mike McRae August 26, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The Manhattan Federal Court action filed by the British former socialite in December argued that new information arising in related lawsuits and the government’s trove of investigative files on Epstein proved her imprisonment was unlawful.
    — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of arise
Adjective
  • At the southern end of the Everglades, where marshes and coastal wetlands are most starved for freshwater, peat has started to collapse, ripping open the shallow sawgrass marshes to leave behind deeper pits of open water.
    — Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The small airplane crashed into the Seldovia Slough, a shallow waterway off Seldovia, a city of about 235 residents on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of shallow
Verb
  • However, for the rest of the game, Brianna Turner and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus are closer to centers; Turner has offensive limitations while Hammon doesn’t appear to trust Parker-Tyus’ defense.
    — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • While this figure appears to add a bright spot to an otherwise weak employment report, the underlying cause is far from encouraging.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of appear

Phrases Containing surface

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surf
surface
surfaced
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Cite this Entry

“Surface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surface. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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