Submarining
- “he disappeared for months then texted like nothing happened”
- “someone came back with no explanation”
- “the word for reappearing after ghosting”
- “why did they resurface out of nowhere”
:: COMPARE ::
SubmariningvsZombieing
The short answer
Both return from the dead; only the zombie bothers to explain where they've been. A zombie offers an excuse — work, a breakdown, a bad patch. A submariner simply carries on mid-conversation, as though the months of silence hadn't happened.
Side by side
| Aspect | Submarining | Zombieing |
|---|---|---|
| Acknowledges the gap? | No | Usually, with an excuse |
| Opening move | Carries on as normal | 'Hey stranger' |
| Leaves you | Disoriented | Ambushed |
| Implies | It was never a big deal | There was a reason |
Which one you meant
Readers who land here meaning Submarining rather than Zombieing are usually searching for phrases like “he disappeared for months then texted like nothing happened”, “someone came back with no explanation”, “the word for reappearing after ghosting”.
Zombieing
- “someone who ghosted me came back like nothing happened”
- “my ex texted 'hey stranger' after disappearing for months”
- “the word for a ghoster who suddenly reappears”
- “why do people come back after ghosting you”
Which came first
Zombieing. mid-2010s — Emerges as a spin-off of 'ghosting' — when a ghost comes back from the dead, they become a zombie.
- mid-2010sZombieingEmerges as a spin-off of 'ghosting' — when a ghost comes back from the dead, they become a zombie.
- 2017SubmariningCoined in the UK press by writer Rebecca Reid and documented in US coverage the same year.
Where the confusion comes from
“Submarining and zombieing are the same thing.”
A zombie returns and acknowledges the absence, usually with an excuse. A submariner resurfaces with no acknowledgement at all — that missing explanation is the entire distinction.
Read either one in full