rip current

noun

: a strong usually narrow surface current flowing outward from a shore that results from the return flow of waves and wind-driven water

Examples of rip current in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Most deaths in the ocean off North Carolina are drownings attributed to rip currents, which are narrow channels of fast-moving water that flow away from beaches, experts say. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 3 Aug. 2026 Coastal areas have also seen dangerous rip currents and elevated surf in recent weeks amid multiple southerly swells, most recently due to Tropical Storm Genevieve. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026 Fox News Digital previously reported that Los Angeles County lifeguards performed nearly 2,000 ocean rescues during a single weekend this summer as elevated surf and dangerous rip currents swept Southern California beaches. — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026 Advisories also have been issued for beaches along the south and southwestern shores of Lake Michigan in Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin for potentially life-threatening conditions, including high waves and rip currents, through Monday. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rip current

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rip current was in 1936

Rhymes for rip current

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Browse Nearby Words

rip cord
rip current
ripe
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Cite this Entry

“Rip current.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rip%20current. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on rip current

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rip current

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