underwater

adjective

ˌən-dər-ˈwȯ-tər How to pronounce underwater (audio)
Definition of underwaternext
as in aquatic
living, lying, or occurring below the surface of the water underwater plants don't require as much light to grow as surface plants a vessel designed for underwater exploration

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of underwater Adapted by Duffield and Daniel Kraus from Kraus’ 2023 novel, this spectacularly unpleasant underwater adventure delivers on its premise with effects that are graphic, fascinating, and occasionally beautiful. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026 Mitt’s old fishing buddy Hewey (John Ortiz) tells Jay that his father plunged into the ocean at the edge of a steep underwater canyon off Monastery Beach, so that’s where Jay is headed. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026 Hakan Öniz, who led the underwater excavation, said the shipwreck dates back to when the Great Pyramid of Giza was being constructed. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 The corals themselves are bigger than cars, their delicate arms creating a dense underwater maze. — Lauren Sommer, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for underwater
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underwater
  1. aquatic
  2. submarine
  3. submerged
Adjective
  • Too aquatic for roads, yet too terrestrial for boats, boglands remain some of the most remote and difficult landscapes to access.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The park has a wide variety of birds, Harding said, as well as coyotes, foxes and aquatic animals such as frogs and turtles.
    — Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of aquatic
Adjective
  • The third pillar expands on this approach by increasing the capacity of the wider submarine industrial base.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026
  • But a new antenna technology, borrowed from the physics of medical implants, is rethinking how submarine machines talk to each other – and to us.
    — Omar Kardoudi June 06, New Atlas, 6 June 2026
Definition of submarine
Adjective
  • Advanced blue-green optical communications penetrate the water column to communicate with submerged submarines without requiring them to deploy compromise-prone antennas.
    — Rohit Jha, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Rescue teams recovered four bodies from inside the submerged vessel on Friday, while seven more were found along nearby shorelines, Bramantyo said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of submerged

Browse Nearby Words

undervaluing
underwater
under way
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Underwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underwater. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All