How to Use surface tension in a Sentence

surface tension

noun
Definition of surface tensionnext
  • The soap cuts the surface tension of the vinegar so the flies will sink and drown.
    — Lauren Piro, Good Housekeeping, 11 July 2018
  • The soap cuts the surface tension of the vinegar so the flies will sink and drown. 4.
    — Lauren Piro, Good Housekeeping, 30 June 2023
  • Add four to five drops of dish soap to break the surface tension.
    — USA TODAY, 20 July 2023
  • The soap breaks the surface tension and drowns the ants much more quickly.
    — The Editors Of Organic Life, Good Housekeeping, 26 June 2017
  • But if the wiring is too small, the droplets get stuck in the tiny holes, trapping it by surface tension.
    — Elise Takahama, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Mar. 2018
  • The soap cuts the surface tension of the vinegar, so the flies that are enticed by the vinegar will sink and drown. 4.
    — Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, 12 Mar. 2023
  • The smaller a droplet, the more the inward pull of surface tension matters.
    — Helen Czerski, WSJ, 18 Aug. 2017
  • The first is simply breaking the surface tension to get through.
    — Lucy Hicks, Science | AAAS, 18 Aug. 2020
  • The imbalance between the surface tension of the wine in the glass and the water-rich liquid on the walls of the glass pulls even more wine up the glass.
    — Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, 21 Oct. 2019
  • The mass of the Cheerios is insufficient to break the milk's surface tension.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 16 Mar. 2022
  • The waiter will pour the wine into your glass, and pour, and pour, and pour...until the surface tension of the wine vibrates slightly.
    — Alex Beggs, Bon Appétit, 23 Dec. 2019
  • Left alone, water will find its way into the chip, pulled in by surface tension.
    — Mike Allen, Popular Mechanics, 27 June 2019
  • Water will find its way into the chip, pulled in by surface tension.
    — Mike Allen, Popular Mechanics, 9 Jan. 2018
  • The fat in the cream breaks the surface tension that otherwise enables water to crawl up and over the sides of the pot, as when cooking beans or milk.
    — Sohla El-Waylly, Bon Appétit, 30 Mar. 2020
  • The flies will be attracted by the bait, but won't be able to escape because the soap breaks the surface tension of the water, trapping the flies.
    — Becky Krystal, BostonGlobe.com, 24 May 2022
  • The flies will be attracted by the bait, but won’t be able to escape because the soap breaks the surface tension of the water, trapping the flies.
    — Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 16 May 2022
  • Soap and water act like a cloak that reduces surface tension on the lenses.
    — Scottie Andrew, CNN, 5 May 2020
  • Within a matter of minutes, this surface tension has caused my own jaw to clench.
    — Kari Molvar, Vogue, 21 Jan. 2021
  • The addition of a drop or two of dish detergent will break the surface tension; the bug will sink just below the surface and drown quickly.
    — Connie Bruck, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2018
  • Various aquatic insects can use the water's surface tension to skate around along the top lakes and ponds.
    — Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 July 2021
  • While the parties involved dispute the details of the divorce, the Besh-Shaya split surfaced tensions the famous chefs agree extend back months, if not years.
    — Brett Anderson, NOLA.com, 21 Oct. 2017
  • Each one has surfactants, which reduce the surface tension of a liquid, to help your dishes come out dry.
    — Jennifer Aldrich, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 July 2020
  • On their own, this dynamic duo is stuff enough for bubbles, which hold together thanks to a touch of surface tension.
    — Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Feb. 2020
  • During this process, changes in the surface tension of the liquid set up a flow of fluid that pushes particles of coffee towards the edges of the puddle.
    — The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 30 Nov. 2021
  • The authors suggest that thicker areas of the drop are richer in IPA and therefore have a lower surface tension.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 12 Aug. 2020
  • In a bubble that’s slowly freezing, the changes in temperature change the surface tension, too.
    — Knvul Sheikh, New York Times, 18 June 2019
  • Surfactants are compounds that help to lift dirt and stains from fabrics by reducing the surface tension of the water.
    — Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 18 Apr. 2023
  • At tiny scales, the droplets store energy due to inherent surface tension.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 28 Feb. 2023
  • These ribbons of color have body and surface tension, and are spontaneous but endlessly labored for.
    — Vulture, 11 Aug. 2023
  • Locus says its bio-surfactants are much better than existing chemicals at breaking the surface tension of rocks and binding to the copper.
    — Yusuf Khan, WSJ, 20 July 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'surface tension.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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