submerge

verb

sub·​merge səb-ˈmərj How to pronounce submerge (audio)
submerged; submerging

transitive verb

1
: to put under water
2
: to cover or overflow with water
3
: to make obscure or subordinate : suppress
personal lives submerged by professional responsibilities

intransitive verb

: to go under water
submergence noun
submergible adjective

Examples of submerge in a Sentence

After boiling the broccoli, submerge it in ice water to stop the cooking process. The town was submerged by the flood. We watched as the divers prepared to submerge. She's a marvelous actress who submerges herself totally in her roles.
Recent Examples on the Web The ghost town was left submerged under a manmade lake, and today just a few inaccessible roads and private homes remain of the once prosperous community. Detroit Free Press, 4 Mar. 2024 Fifteen feet away, she was submerged up to her chin. Susan Dominus, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024 The embryos are then submerged in the solution, which contains key nutrients that mimic the fluids in a woman’s reproductive tract. Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2024 For several weeks last March and April the desert was submerged beneath a sea of golden poppies. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 24 Feb. 2024 Jakarta, prone to pollution, earthquakes and floods, is rapidly sinking into the Java Sea; by 2050, one-third of the city may be submerged. Vince Poon, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 This extra water has submerged and damaged extensive dust control measures. Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2024 While his point is submerged in a sentence full of acid, his overall ... Christian Schneider, National Review, 15 Feb. 2024 Add ice to the brine if the ham is not fully submerged. Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 5 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'submerge.' 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

Latin submergere, from sub- + mergere to plunge — more at merge

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of submerge was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near submerge

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

submerge

verb
sub·​merge səb-ˈmərj How to pronounce submerge (audio)
submerged; submerging
1
: to put or go underwater
the whale submerged
2
: to cover or become covered with or as if with water
floods submerged the town

More from Merriam-Webster on submerge

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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