emerge
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to come out from a place where you could not be seen.
to come into view or move out from an enclosed or obscured space. Intransitive — does not take a direct object.
Simple“The sun finally started to emerge from behind the thick clouds.”
In context“The swimmers began to emerge from the lake, shivering as the cold morning air hit their damp skin.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'from'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
to become known or clear after being a secret or a mystery.
to become apparent, known, or prominent as a result of inquiry or development.
Simple“New details about the accident began to emerge after the police report.”
In context“Several troubling discrepancies in the financial records emerged during the annual audit, prompting a deeper investigation into the company's practices.”
UsageCommonly used with 'that' clauses or 'during' to indicate the timing of a discovery.
- 03 C1 Advanced
to come out of a difficult situation in a certain state.
to come out of an experience, state, or period of time. Functions as a copular verb in this sense.
Simple“The company managed to emerge from the crisis stronger than before.”
In context“The nation emerged from the long conflict with its infrastructure in ruins but its political resolve significantly strengthened.”
UsageTypically followed by an adjective or a prepositional phrase starting with 'from'.
Usage emerged in recent · clearly emerge · concept emerge
First attested in the late 16th century. Borrowed from Middle French emerger, from Latin ēmergō (“to rise up or out”), from ē- (a variant of ex- (“out, forth”)) + mergō (“to dip, to sink”)
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.