emerge
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to come forth into view or notice, as from concealment or obscurity.
a ghost emerging from the grave;
a ship emerging from the fog.
-
to rise or come forth from or as if from water or other liquid.
-
to come up or arise, as a question or difficulty.
-
to come into existence; develop.
-
to rise, as from an inferior or unfortunate state or condition.
verb
-
to come up to the surface of or rise from water or other liquid
-
to come into view, as from concealment or obscurity
he emerged from the cave
-
(foll by from) to come out (of) or live (through a difficult experience)
he emerged from his ordeal with dignity
-
to become apparent
several interesting things emerged from the report
Usage
What are other ways to say emerge? To emerge is to come forth into view or notice, as from concealment or obscurity. How is emerge different from emanate and issue? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
- emerging adjective
- reemerge verb (used without object)
- unemerged adjective
Etymology
Origin of emerge
First recorded in 1630–40; from Latin ēmergere “to arise out of,” equivalent to ē- e- 1 + mergere “to dive, sink”
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.
Much of that damage was done on the par-four 11th where posted a triple-bogey seven after taking three shots to emerge from a greenside bunker.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
Still, snakes may emerge during a winter warm spell to bask in the sun, said Greg Pauly, curator of herpetology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026
Many people fear the regime will emerge from the attacks hardened and embittered.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
Amid a rebalancing of supply and demand for liquidity in the private BDC space, listed BDCs, which benefit from permanent capital and daily liquidity, “are structurally advantaged and can emerge as net winners,” KBW wrote.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
But over time a stable consensus will emerge that one answer is right and all the others are wrong.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
