undertow
Ocean's hidden drag
Undertow is a current beneath the surface of water, especially one flowing seaward from a beach while waves break toward shore.
Swimmers caught in undertow may struggle to return to shallow water.
Figuratively, undertow suggests hidden forces pulling against the surface: There was an undertow of resentment beneath her polite smile.
Tear apart forcibly
- tideOcean's cyclical swell
- riptideDangerous outward current
- flowUnbroken forward movement
- eddyCircular counter-current
drift · pull · surge · backwash · swirl · swell · tidal · seaward
Short forceful pull
- dragResistance through fluid
- drawCreate with pencil
- suctionPulling via pressure difference
- gripSecure manual hold
force · traction · grasp · yank · sweep · snare · clutch · seize
Death by water inhalation
- lifeguardPaid swimming supervisor
- warningAlert about danger
- perilSerious threat of harm
- rescueSave from harm
hazard · survival · fatalities · panic · struggle · victim · treacherous · deceptive
Power to affect others
- hiddenKept out of sight
- beneathIn a lower position
- subconsciousBelow conscious awareness
- lurkingConcealed and watchful
tension · darkness · emotional · psychological · suppressed · unspoken · insidious · creeping
rip
Tear apart forcibly
eddy · drift · pull · surge · backwash · swirl · swell · tidal · seaward · outflow
tug
Short forceful pull
grip · force · traction · grasp · yank · sweep · snare · clutch · seize · relentless
drowning
Death by water inhalation
rescue · hazard · survival · fatalities · panic · struggle · victim · treacherous · deceptive · unseen
influence
Power to affect others
- hiddenKept out of sight
- beneathIn a lower position
- subconsciousBelow conscious awareness
lurking · tension · darkness · emotional · psychological · suppressed · unspoken · insidious · creeping · pervasive
escape
Flight from captivity
exhaustion · swimmer · sidestroke · stamina · technique · survival · current · diagonal · conserve · rescue
- Ocean Phenomenatsunami, tides, rogue wave, ocean current, swells
- beachbeach, sand, wave, waves, surf
- compound wordsbookmark, breakdown, sunlight, breakup, snowflake
- oceanwaves, Atlantic, sea, Pacific, tide
- beach safetylifeguard, rip current, warning flag, red flag, no swimming
- lifeguardinglifeguard, lifeguard stand, rescue tube, rescue buoy, CPR
undertowbreaker
Wave that collapses shoreward
flood tide · surge · uprush · swash · upwelling
undertowsurface tension
Cohesive force at liquid interfaces