undertow

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That’s partly the point, but hopefully, they’ll soon be swept away by the movie’s melancholy undertow.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2025

They took a toll, onerously so, like an undertow at the ocean shoreline that yanks you down into the muddy sand underfoot, and my debt more than quadrupled.

From Salon • May 11, 2025

There’s a melancholy undertow to the lyrics which, in tandem with the title, suggest her frenetic live shows are only just managing to keep anxiety and exhaustion at bay.

From BBC • Jul. 25, 2024

Arpeggios glimmer around her; a boom-bap beat brings an undertow.

From New York Times • Feb. 23, 2024

The silent waves brought new blue bottles to be broken, and dragged the old ones away in the undertow.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy