surge

1 of 2

verb

surged; surging

intransitive verb

1
: to rise and fall actively : toss
a ship surging in heavy seas
2
: to rise and move in waves or billows : swell
the sea was surging
3
: to slip around a windlass, capstan, or bitts
used especially of a rope
4
: to rise suddenly to an excessive or abnormal value
the stock market surged to a record high
5
: to move with a surge or in surges
felt the blood surging into his faceHarry Hervey
she surged past the other runners

transitive verb

: to let go or slacken gradually
surge a rope

surge

2 of 2

noun

1
: a swelling, rolling, or sweeping forward like that of a wave or series of waves
a surge of interest
2
a
: a large wave or billow : swell
b(1)
: a series of such swells or billows
(2)
: the resulting elevation of water level
3
a
: a movement (such as a slipping or slackening) of a rope or cable
b
: a sudden jerk or strain caused by such a movement
4
: a transient sudden rise of current or voltage in an electrical circuit

Examples of surge in a Sentence

Verb We all surged toward the door. She surged past the other runners. Thoughts of what could happen were surging through his mind. Housing prices have surged in recent months. Interest in the sport has been surging. Noun The sport is enjoying a surge in popularity. a surge of support for the candidate There was a sudden surge toward the door. There has been a surge of immigrants into the city.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Racial diversity surged at Johns Hopkins in the last decade. Susan Svrluga, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 New Home surged back, however, and a 7-0 run cut the deficit to a single possession heading into halftime. Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Mar. 2024 According to Windward, the number of bulk carriers anchoring outside ports to the north and south of the Suez Canal surged 225% Wednesday compared with the previous day. Hanna Ziady, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, rents have surged roughly 30% since the pandemic, forcing a record number of renters into unaffordable housing. Irina Ivanova, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024 Then, Haley surged ahead of her competitors at the first GOP debate later that month. USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 Her unfunded tax cuts roiled financial markets and sent borrowing costs surging. Associated Press, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 Additionally, Fort Lauderdale has surged in popularity as a spring break destination, with a 45.6 percent jump in bookings from 2023, according to the site. Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2024 The promise that magnesium can soothe, ground and calm us — like a gravity blanket for the mind — is especially alluring in anxious times when prices are surging, wars fill the news and the embers of the pandemic are still smoldering. Adam Markovitz, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024
Noun
Bermuda saw a tourism surge in 2023, with 713,912 visitors to the island, which was a 29.9 percent increase from 2022, according to government data. Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2024 Mavericks star Luka Doncic led the surge with 17 points in the third quarter. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 But being deemed the best choice available doesn’t mean Gloria is riding a surge of popularity into November. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024 Though the peak of this winter’s surge is receding, wastewater analysis data suggests there are still more than 760,000 new cases of COVID a day in the US—meaning roughly 1 in 63 people are actively infectious. Reina Sultan, SELF, 7 Mar. 2024 Many officials in the West, on the other hand, say the decision has prevented them from managing a surge in encampments on sidewalks, in parks, and other public places. Claire Rush, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Mar. 2024 Other states saw similar spikes in complaints during that period, according to the letter, with Pennsylvania recording a 270 percent increase, a 330 percent jump in North Carolina, and a 740 percent surge in Vermont. Dell Cameron, WIRED, 6 Mar. 2024 But over that same period, China’s tech giant Huawei saw its sales surge 64%. Will Daniel, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 Hospitals in Boston, Colorado and Chicago have also reported surges. Emily Baumgaertner Ariana Drehsler, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'surge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

earlier, to ride (at anchor) probably in part from Middle French sourgir to cast anchor, land, from Catalan surgir to heave, cast anchor, from Latin surgere to rise, spring up; from sub- up + regere to lead straight; in part from Latin surgere — more at sub-, right

First Known Use

Verb

1511, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1520, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of surge was in 1511

Dictionary Entries Near surge

Cite this Entry

“Surge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surge. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

surge

1 of 2 verb
surged; surging
1
: to rise and fall actively
2
: to move in or as if in waves

surge

2 of 2 noun
1
: a swelling, rolling, or sweeping forward like that of a wave : an onward rush
a surge of support for the candidate
2
: a large wave or billow : swell

More from Merriam-Webster on surge

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