resurface
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
-
(intr) to arise or occur again
the problem resurfaced
-
(intr) to rise or cause to rise again to the surface
-
(tr) to supply (something) with a new surface
Other Word Forms
- resurfacer noun
Etymology
Origin of resurface
Explanation
To resurface is to cover something with a fresh coat, like to resurface a road with new asphalt. It also means to come back, like a problem you wanted to forget or a monster in a movie that won’t die. You can resurface a birthday cake with another layer of frosting if you discover your brother has stuck his finger in the original buttercream. Another way to resurface is to emerge or appear again, sometimes above an actual surface, like when a dolphin dives under water and then resurfaces several minutes later. The dream you forgot when you woke up might also (figuratively) resurface later in the day.
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.
The home goods retailer will resurface through the rebranding of 98 The Container Store locations, including 12 storefronts in California, the company announcedon Thursday.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026
In recent months, investors have sent tech stocks on a wild ride as worries about the prospects of the AI trade have risen, then subsided, only to resurface.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026
While some have walked back explicit calls for bailouts, those arguments are likely to resurface if financing conditions tighten or fiscal stimulus fades.
From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026
The manner in which Mikel Arteta's side collapsed in losing a two-goal lead at doomed Wolverhampton Wanderers saw old uncertainties and past pain resurface as hunters Manchester City scented blood.
From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026
I breathed in a lungful of sweet spring air and felt my grin resurface.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
