Internet
submarining
What does submarining mean?
Distinguished by the total lack of acknowledgment, the person dives back up like a submarine breaking the surface.
"Submarining is wild because they act like the silence never happened."
Origin
Named after a submarine that vanishes underwater then suddenly surfaces. It became a dating term in the late 2010s to describe ghosts who return without explanation.
Frequently asked questions
What does submarining mean in dating?
It's when someone who ghosted you reappears out of nowhere with a casual message, acting as if they never disappeared and offering no explanation.
How is submarining different from zombieing?
They're very close; both involve a ghost returning. Submarining specifically stresses the no-explanation, business-as-usual attitude on their return.
Should you respond to submarining?
Many people advise caution, since someone who vanished and reappeared without accountability often repeats the pattern.
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Vocabulary Flow — saved to your collection.
