Meaning & use
rip tides
Last updated
“rip tides” is a form of “rip tide”.
Meaning
nouncountable
Strong, narrow currents that flow away from the shore, often between waves, and can pull swimmers out to sea.
Grammar: Usually used in the plural when talking about the general phenomenon; the singular 'rip tide' refers to one such current.
Patterns
- caught in a rip tide
- swim in a rip tide
- rip tide warning
The lifeguard warned us about rip tides near the pier.
Two swimmers were pulled out by a rip tide but were rescued.
Rip tides can be dangerous even for strong swimmers.
Word forms
| singular | rip tide |
|---|
Common combinations
- strong rip tide
- A strong rip tide made swimming difficult.
- rip tide warning
- The beach posted a rip tide warning for the weekend.
- caught in a rip tide
- He was caught in a rip tide and swept away from the shore.
- rip current
- Rip currents are the technical term for rip tides.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rip current
- The more technical and precise term used by oceanographers and lifeguards; 'rip tide' is common in everyday speech but is less exact.
- undertow
- Refers to the pull of water back toward the sea under the surface, which can feel similar but is not the same as a rip tide.
Commonly confused: rip tides or tide?
rip tides vs tide
A tide is the regular rise and fall of the sea; a rip tide is a specific dangerous current, not the normal tidal movement.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'rip tides' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A rip tide is a strong current that can pull swimmers away from shore, so 'pulled out to sea by a rip tide' fits. The other options confuse rip tides with ordinary tides, which rise and fall regularly and are caused by the moon.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rip tides”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.