# resurface

/ɹiˈsɝfəs/ (US) · /ɹɪsˈɜːfɪs/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/resurface
Updated: 2026-10-18

## Definition

to appear again after being hidden or gone for a while. You use it when an old problem, memory, or object comes back.

For teachers: to rise again to a surface after submersion or covering; to reappear after a period of absence or obscurity.

## Examples

- Old photos resurface when she cleans the attic.
- After the storm passes, divers wait for the missing buoy to resurface near the harbour entrance.
- Memories he thought long buried resurface in the quiet of the archive, triggered by the smell of old paper and dust.

## Synonyms

reappear, return, recur, reemerge

## Antonyms

disappear, vanish

## Usage notes

- Intransitive when meaning to reappear; transitive when meaning to lay a new surface on a road or floor.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.