undercurrent
noun
un·der·cur·rent
ˈən-dər-ˌkər-ənt 
-ˌkə-rənt
1
: a current below the upper currents or surface
2
: a hidden opinion, feeling, or tendency often contrary to the one publicly shown
undercurrent
adjective
Examples of undercurrent in a Sentence
You could be pulled under water by the dangerous undercurrents.
Recent Examples on the Web
There’s the undercurrent of politics stirring animus between the neighbors, with Canadians angered by President Donald Trump’s tariffs and his absurd aside saying perhaps Canada should be the 51st U.S. state.
—
Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 5 June 2025
Big Little Lies Kidman has yet another incredible performance in a gripping drama about the dark undercurrents of a wealthy coastal community in California.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 3 June 2025
Such supportive undercurrents help explain why the tape has hung in there in the face of capricious policy-making and putrid consumer sentiment, allowing the market to process extraordinary and sometimes scary stimuli into what looks, for now, like a setback that’s more routine than wrenching.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 26 May 2025
While United managed to remain in the top three, an undercurrent lurked — an inexplicable question of how this has happened, rather than faith in a bigger, grander process.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for undercurrent
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Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 5 June 2025
Big Little Lies Kidman has yet another incredible performance in a gripping drama about the dark undercurrents of a wealthy coastal community in California.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 3 June 2025
Such supportive undercurrents help explain why the tape has hung in there in the face of capricious policy-making and putrid consumer sentiment, allowing the market to process extraordinary and sometimes scary stimuli into what looks, for now, like a setback that’s more routine than wrenching.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 26 May 2025
While United managed to remain in the top three, an undercurrent lurked — an inexplicable question of how this has happened, rather than faith in a bigger, grander process.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for undercurrent
Cite this Entry
“Undercurrent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undercurrent. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
undercurrent
noun
un·der·cur·rent
-ˌkər-ənt
-ˌkə-rənt
1
: a current below the upper currents or surface
undercurrents of water
2
: a hidden current of opinion or feeling often different from the one openly shown
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