as in deterioration
a change to a lower state or level
a surprising ebb in the quality of workmanship in goods coming from that country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
the fortunes of the town slowly ebbed as factory after textile factory closed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to decrease
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
the howling winds ebbed as the hurricane moved into the interior
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ebb
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
Fans gear up for Moyes’ return (Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Moyes walked into a club at a miserably low ebb.
—Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
Hanna Park, Robert Shackelford and Mary Gilbert, CNN, 18 Feb. 2025
But as the pandemic ebbed, ExThera’s sales to hospitals peaked at a few million dollars and then began to decline.
—John Carreyrou, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ebb
Noun
September 2024: Craig Conover gives an interview indicating that his feud with Kyle may be on its ebb.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
Fans gear up for Moyes’ return (Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Moyes walked into a club at a miserably low ebb.
—Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
Verb
There was hope water rescues would ebb today in Kentucky and allow crews to reset and prepare for winter weather, Eric Gibson, director of the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management, said Tuesday.
—Hanna Park, Robert Shackelford and Mary Gilbert, CNN, 18 Feb. 2025
But as the pandemic ebbed, ExThera’s sales to hospitals peaked at a few million dollars and then began to decline.
—John Carreyrou, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ebb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ebb
Noun
-
This may further contribute to a deterioration in hard data and usher in an economic recession.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2025
-
That led to a deterioration of ties with Pakistan, which also claims the region.—
Fayaz Bukhari,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
That volume is masking deteriorating demand from key sectors - particularly domestic manufacturing, which drives more than 60% of big rig ton miles, and ocean imports.—
Lisa Baertlein,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
-
The setting of the urban scenes was crafted by dressing up these Welsh locations to mimic a deteriorating American metropolis, Screen Rant reported.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The number of Jesuits globally has steadily decreased since the 1960s, when there were more than 36,000.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
-
As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
This is a result of a profit-first capitalist system in crisis in the epoch of imperialism’s decline.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Gold’s warning What’s more, the spike in gold prices this year has continued to signal a risk-off mentality among investors, as gold tends to rally during periods of decline in stocks.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The administration’s threat of tariffs on pharmaceuticals risks political backlash, worsening drug shortages and future battles over who pays.—
Alexis Simendinger,
The Hill,
22 Apr. 2025
-
The death of the head of the Catholic Church comes after a series of worsening health problems, including a respiratory crisis that left him in critical condition in recent months.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
But much of that has subsided now; the Steelers, after all, don’t have a second-round pick and trading up could be out of the question as a result.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Apr. 2025
-
While immediate inflation concerns have subsided, the current administration's aggressive tariff and immigration policies are creating new economic anxieties that could lead to future instability.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The changing declination also defines the daily arc that the sun takes across the sky, thereby accounting for the length of daylight.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
6 Feb. 2025
-
The sun's changing declination is what determines whether the sun's rays strike us at a low angle or more directly.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The ongoing humanitarian crisis is worsened by widespread poverty, food insecurity, and a crumbling health care system, displacing over a million people from their homes in search of safety.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Here’s what students and educators across the state told us about the floods and leaks, overcrowding and inaccessibility, safety and outages, crumbling buildings and heating and cooling problems that impact every part of their day.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
27 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ebb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ebb. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share