riptide
Americannoun
noun
-
Also called: rip. tide-rip. a stretch of turbulent water in the sea, caused by the meeting of currents or abrupt changes in depth
-
Also called: rip current. a strong current, esp one flowing outwards from the shore, causing disturbance on the surface
Synonym Usage
See undertow.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of riptide
Compare meaning
How does riptide compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A riptide is an extremely strong, unpredictable current that flows across another. Riptides are especially dangerous for ocean swimmers. When people talk about riptides, they usually mean the powerful, narrow currents of ocean water near the shore that can be hazardous to swimmers with little experience. Officially, this is incorrect: rip current is the name for this ocean phenomenon, while a riptide is a flow of water in an estuary. As long as you're not worried about being inaccurate, go ahead and use riptide's common meaning — people will know exactly what you mean.
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.
See Examples For:
Investors felt a slight reprieve on Friday from the riptide that’s been gathering around artificial intelligence and the stock market.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 14, 2026
To empathize with her is not to presume to understand her; it’s to get caught in the riptide of her mysterious pleasures and pains.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2025
An inquest heard a "suggestion" a riptide led to the pair drowning.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2023
She noted that most companies are now bringing out product lines that have been in the works for at least a year, meaning that the Pride riptide may be only just beginning.
From Washington Times ● May 29, 2023
Despair rushed up under him like a riptide.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Dangerous riptides are a prime reason not to push your limits.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 28, 2023
At popular beaches on Lake Michigan, swimmers must navigate crashing waves and dangerous riptides on their own.
From New York Times ● Jun. 9, 2022
Vacationers’ choruses, even when they bring in welcome counterpoint, are the flattest statements of all, warnings of riptides, notes about the airport.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2021
Part of Singapore's reason for dismissing American pedagogy is "navigational" in a geopolitical sense: Lee Hsien Loong likens his country to a small but doughty craft breasting powerful riptides of global economics and politics.
From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2021
Three spiral lighthouses took shape along the rocky coast, warning sailors away from the treacherous cliffs and quick riptides of Deliene’s coastline.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
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.
