Definition of EBB

Choose the Right Synonym for ebb

Verb

abate, subside, wane, ebb mean to die down in force or intensity. abate stresses the idea of progressive diminishing. the storm abated subside implies the ceasing of turbulence or agitation. the protests subsided after a few days wane suggests the fading or weakening of something good or impressive. waning enthusiasm ebb suggests the receding of something (such as the tide) that commonly comes and goes. the ebbing of daylight

Examples of ebb in a Sentence

Noun

Morale seems to have reached its lowest ebb. a surprising ebb in the quality of workmanship in goods coming from that country

Verb

waiting for the tide to ebb the fortunes of the town slowly ebbed as factory after textile factory closed

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Connecticut’s population ebbs are a major fixation among some in the state, with questions about tax policy and its impact of the quality of life driving everything from conversations on talk radio to public policy debates at the Capitol. — Daniela Altimari, courant.com, "Hartford Courant/Sacred Heart Poll finds a quality of life paradox in Connecticut," 7 June 2019 Pass the tubing through one of the holes in the reservoir lid and attach it to the smaller ebb nipple below the mixing tray. — Daniel Kluko, Popular Mechanics, "How to Grow Hydroponic Plants at Home," 13 Feb. 2017 In the ebb and flow of combat, Marines or Army forces could seize islands, or parts of islands, and then become cut off from resupply. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "This Robotic Ship Could Become a Marine's Lifeline," 9 May 2019 Potomac Watch Podcast Potomac Watch Podcast Then came the Republican romp of 2010, followed by the Census and the regular 10-year redistricting to reflect population ebb and flow across the U.S. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "The Gerrymander Excuse Implodes," 16 Nov. 2018 In a game that featured more ebb and flow than the nearby surf, OLP rallied from a three-goal deficit for a 12-11 win over El Camino on Saturday that clinched the San Diego Section Division II title. — Don Norcross, sandiegouniontribune.com, "D-II girls lacrosse: Pilots’ triumph gets party started," 12 May 2018 But in the ebb and flow of funding, the service had only 33 marshals on duty Sept. 11, 2001, when hijackers flew four planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and field in Pennsylvania. — Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, "Terror in the skies: TSA's air marshals are 'last line of defense,' but is the program really needed?," 17 May 2018 Stalder has direct experience in the ebb and flow of a seasonal economy. — Author: Naomi Klouda, Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska Railroad finds savings closer to home," 19 Apr. 2018 Our sexualities have an ebb and flow, like every other part of our lives. — Corinne Werder, Allure, "Want to Have Better Sex? Stop Worrying About Orgasms," 11 Oct. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Meanwhile, separate reports Wednesday showed that consumer and business confidence ebbed in February. — Sam Chambers, Bloomberg.com, "Amazon and Brexit Take Toll as Toys ‘R’ Us U.K., Maplin Fail," 28 Feb. 2018 But Apple’s forecast for the December quarter suggests the gains the company has enjoyed from goosing its prices may be ebbing. — Dan Gallagher, WSJ, "Apple’s Juice Runs Out," 1 Nov. 2018 Investors around the globe are effectively paying governments to hold more than $11 trillion of their bonds, a fresh sign of ebbing economic confidence in Europe and Japan. — Daniel Kruger, WSJ, "Negative Yields Mount Along With Europe’s Problems," 18 Feb. 2019 The size of the group’s weekly protests, which reached a peak in November, has since ebbed somewhat. — Noemie Bisserbe, WSJ, "Emmanuel Macron Courts World Business Elite at Hallmark of France’s Splendor," 21 Jan. 2019 All of the male characters are back in season two but their power is ebbing, slowly in some cases, drastically in others. — Taylor Antrim, Vogue, "With Season 2, HBO's The Deuce is a Show in Transition—and That's a Good Thing," 19 Sep. 2018 Across the cavernous rocket factory, the buzz, whirr, and whine of various machinery never ebbed. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "SpaceX reveals the controls of its Dragon spacecraft for the first time," 14 Aug. 2018 Recent concerns about Apple's iPhone business were fanned by suppliers that reported weak demand for high-end handsets, another sign the smartphone boom that made Apple the most-valuable company is ebbing. — Mark Gurman, chicagotribune.com, "Apple results to show iPhone X problem and plan to fix it," 1 May 2018 But somewhere along the way, her confidence ebbed; a vocal teacher suggested Kristin check out the Entourage program. — Jane Wooldridge, miamiherald, "These 18 made the cut. That’s when the real work began. Now they’re part of the Entourage. | Miami Herald," 22 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ebb.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.