▪ descend below the surface of an area of water: "the U-boat had had time to submerge"Similargo under waterdivesinkplungeplummetdropgo downOppositesurface
▪ completely cover or obscure:"the tensions submerged earlier in the campaign now came to the fore"Similarhideconcealveilcloakrepresssuppress
Word Originearly 17th century: from Latin submergere, from sub- ‘under’ + mergere ‘to dip’.