channel-surf

American  

[chan-l-surf] / ˈtʃæn lˌsɜrf /

verb (used without object)

1. to change from one channel on a television set to another with great or unusual frequency, especially by using a remote control.

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Other Word Forms

• channel surfer noun

Etymology

Origin of channel-surf

An Americanism dating back to 1985–90

Example Sentences

And it offers something viewers might have missed while they were logged onto other streamers: the ability to channel-surf.

From New York Times

The latter features a number of scenes in which Hudson and his colleagues watch surveillance footage, a framing device that allows Maddin to channel-surf between clips.

From Los Angeles Times

That tour’s guiding metaphor was television; Bono used a remote control to channel-surf on the show’s giant screens.

From The New Yorker

“You channel-surf and everywhere you look there’s the body of another woman who’s been violated, but this show does not rely on sensationalism.”

From Washington Post

So in effect, Akin and Cruz have given some conservative activists a reason to channel-surf when the Republican convention is on TV this month.

From Reuters