Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun riptide

2 senses of riptide

Sense 1
rip, riptide, tide rip, crosscurrent, countercurrent -- (a stretch of turbulent water in a river or the sea caused by one current flowing into or across another current)
       => turbulence, turbulency -- (unstable flow of a liquid or gas)

Sense 2
riptide, rip current -- (a strong surface current flowing outwards from a shore)
       => current, stream -- (a steady flow of a fluid (usually from natural causes); "the raft floated downstream on the current"; "he felt a stream of air"; "the hose ejected a stream of water")