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
Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 27 May 2024
Instead of asking consumers to open their wallets to pay for video-on-demand movies, Samsung was now encouraging viewers to plant themselves in front of the screen to surf through an array of free channel options.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for surf 
Noun
Can the California Coastal Commission decide if trans women get to surf in women’s competitions?
—Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 27 May 2024
Instead of asking consumers to open their wallets to pay for video-on-demand movies, Samsung was now encouraging viewers to plant themselves in front of the screen to surf through an array of free channel options.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for surf
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'surf.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near surf
Cite this Entry
“Surf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surf. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.
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
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