1
: the swell of the sea that breaks upon the shore
2
: the foam, splash, and sound of breaking waves
surfed; surfing; surfs
1
: to ride the surf (as on a surfboard)
2
: to scan a wide range of offerings for something of interest
: to scan the offerings of (such as television or the Internet) for something of interest
surfer
noun
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
R. Daniel Foster, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
The bites: Classic surf, turf, salads and sandwiches with daily specials like a Wednesday short rib with a mascarpone polenta ($48) or Sunday fried chicken with cornbread ($35).
—Monica Eng, Axios, 12 Mar. 2025
Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2025
Travelers can post up in the city, where cafes and workspaces abound – and make weekend getaways to the coast for surfing and relaxing on the beach.
—Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for surf
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.
Noun
The Global Wellness Institute lists mountain yoga retreats in North America, rainforest spas in Costa Rica, Moroccan thermal hammams, Egyptian sand baths, safari spas and surf and yoga retreats in Australia.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
The bites: Classic surf, turf, salads and sandwiches with daily specials like a Wednesday short rib with a mascarpone polenta ($48) or Sunday fried chicken with cornbread ($35).
—Monica Eng, Axios, 12 Mar. 2025
Verb
Proponents of the design say open gangway cars could reduce incidents of subway surfing by eliminating easy access to the train’s exterior.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2025
Travelers can post up in the city, where cafes and workspaces abound – and make weekend getaways to the coast for surfing and relaxing on the beach.
—Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for surf
Cite this Entry
“Surf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surf. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
surf
1 of 2 noun1
: waves that break upon the shore
2
: the foam, splash, and sound of breaking waves
surf
2 of 2 verb1
: to ride the surf (as on a surfboard)
2
: to scan the offerings of (as television or the Internet) for something of interest
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share