rip current
Americannoun
-
A strong, narrow surface current that flows rapidly away from the shore. Rip currents form when excess water that has accumulated along a shore due to wind and waves rushes back suddenly to deeper waters.
-
Also called rip tide
Etymology
Origin of rip current
First recorded in 1935–40
Compare meaning
How does rip-current compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Officials are alerting coastal communities of an increased risk for large waves and strong rip currents with breaking waves of 14 to 19 feet.
From Los Angeles Times
The National Weather Service issued a high surf advisory for Ventura County beaches Monday morning because of large breaking waves of 4 to 7 feet with dangerous rip currents.
From Los Angeles Times
The National Weather Service warned California beachgoers on Wednesday to stay out of the water due to hazardous swimming conditions as rip currents can pull swimmers and surfers out to sea.
From Los Angeles Times
Although it did not make direct landfall it did produce dangerous rip currents and large surf which kept beaches closed and led to evacuations in some areas.
From BBC
Two miles away in Ocean Beach, a surfer alerted the lifeguard tower that a dog had been swept into a rip current and was drifting out to sea.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
