What does "undertow" mean?

A short-range flow of water returning seaward from the waves breaking on the shore.

What is a synonym for "undertow"?

Common synonyms include: affluence, afflux, affluxion, concourse, confluence, conflux.

noun, verb

noun, verb ·3 syllables ·Moderate ·College level

Noun

1
A short-range flow of water returning seaward from the waves breaking on the shore.
"A strong undertow may sweep a returning swimmer off their feet but it does not carry them far from the shore."
2
the seaward undercurrent created after waves have broken on the shore wordnet
3
A feeling that runs contrary to one's normal one. broadly
4
an inclination contrary to the strongest or prevailing feeling wordnet

Verb

1
To pull or tow under; drag beneath; pull down. transitive
"Off in a gallop the General wheeled vanishing, And sped his steed away into the blue, When Lineoln now alone let go his speech Which had before been undertowed by force, [...]"
2
To pull down by, or as by, an undertow. transitive
"A sense that the air, a sighting of muddy river, or that outcrop of rock so implacably bland in the light of midday, is undertowed by memory."
3
To flow or behave as an undertow. intransitive
"Everybody knows this and acts accordingly; but when you say it, it sounds bad and bold, and makes you uncomfortable to hear it, because the puritan blood is still undertowing in your veins."

"Tom and his friend John were swimming close to shore when a strong undertow carried them out to sea."

From under- + tow.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.