surface tension
noun
: the attractive force exerted upon the surface molecules of a liquid by the molecules beneath that tends to draw the surface molecules into the bulk of the liquid and makes the liquid assume the shape having the least surface area
Examples of surface tension in a Sentence
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The soap helps break the soil's surface tension and allows water to be absorbed.
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Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2025
Water has a higher surface tension than alcohol, so the watery sides drag the wine in the glass up to the top of the wetted area.
—Anna Demming, Quanta Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025
Like the insects, these artificial paddles spread and collapse passively, powered not by motors or sensors but by the surface tension of water itself.
—John Drake, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
The thin legs do reduce surface tension that can slow them down, but still suffer from limited momentum.
—Elizabeth Rayne, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2025
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Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2025
Water has a higher surface tension than alcohol, so the watery sides drag the wine in the glass up to the top of the wetted area.
—Anna Demming, Quanta Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025
Like the insects, these artificial paddles spread and collapse passively, powered not by motors or sensors but by the surface tension of water itself.
—John Drake, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
The thin legs do reduce surface tension that can slow them down, but still suffer from limited momentum.
—Elizabeth Rayne, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for surface tension
Cite this Entry
“Surface tension.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surface%20tension. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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