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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ebb
Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2024
Real Madrid will go into their Champions League quarter-final first leg away to Arsenal at their lowest ebb this season.
—Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Ben Kesslen, Quartz, 28 Apr. 2025
Successive starts by Randy Vásquez (five innings, one hit, one run) on Wednesday, Nick Pivetta (seven innings, three hits, zero runs) on Friday and Hart have served to ebb some concern about a rotation that had an 11.21 ERA and 2.55 WHIP and worked just 17⅔ innings in its previous five-start turn.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ebb
Noun
There have been hints of an ebb in the tide of corporatization.
—Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2024
Real Madrid will go into their Champions League quarter-final first leg away to Arsenal at their lowest ebb this season.
—Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Verb
Meanwhile, foreign tourism to the U.S. seems to be ebbing; March flights dropped 10% from the same time last year, per the Department of Commerce.
—Ben Kesslen, Quartz, 28 Apr. 2025
Successive starts by Randy Vásquez (five innings, one hit, one run) on Wednesday, Nick Pivetta (seven innings, three hits, zero runs) on Friday and Hart have served to ebb some concern about a rotation that had an 11.21 ERA and 2.55 WHIP and worked just 17⅔ innings in its previous five-start turn.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ebb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ebb
Noun
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From the start, the idea was to revitalize Eagle Crest Plaza, which became blighted due to years of neglect and deterioration by rainwater detention.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2025
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Conversely, Oklahoma and Iowa exhibited the fastest doubling of death rates after age 35—a sign of more rapid health deterioration among their populations.—
Jordan King
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 May 2025
Verb
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In March, Rose Shalom of Sunland lost her husband, Mannie Rezende, who had slowly deteriorated from Alzheimer’s over several years.—
Steve Lopez,
Mercury News,
7 May 2025
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Bloomberg | Getty Images Hugo Boss on Tuesday pointed to deteriorating U.S. consumer confidence, with uncertainty around tariffs, recession risks and immigration policy dampening both domestic and tourist spend in its largest single market.—
Karen Gilchrist,
CNBC,
6 May 2025
Verb
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The four-seamer might be decreasing in usage, and the worst single pitch in the game - but the great ones have great ones.—
Tony Blengino,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
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Research has also shown that being outside in nature can help decrease anxiety, stress, and anger, according to a UC Davis Health blog post.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2025
Noun
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And some experts worry that the recent decline could be slowed or stopped by reductions in federal funding and the public health workforce, or a shift away from the strategies that seem to be working.—
Geoff Mulvihill,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
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Ticket prices for sporting events plunged by 12.2%, the biggest monthly decline on record.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
14 May 2025
Verb
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The situation for consumers has worsened as businesses have passed production costs down to their customers.—
Malia Mendez,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
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Delays also worsened, with 78.1% of flights arriving on time last year, down from 78.3% in 2023.—
Alain Sherter,
CBS News,
15 May 2025
Verb
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Lisa Wins, But Sincerity Takes the Crown When the eyeliner dries and the laughter subsides, Lisa Gilroy emerges as the episode’s victor.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
5 May 2025
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That fear subsided after the war became bogged down in Ukraine’s east.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
5 May 2025
Noun
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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
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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
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One of the five Venezuelan opposition activists who recently escaped after more than a year confined inside the Argentine Embassy in Caracas says their dramatic rescue underscores the crumbling state of the Nicolas Maduro regime’s security forces.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2025
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When something appears that stems from a pure love of music, inevitably, the existing structures begin to crumble.—
Ernesto Lechner,
Rolling Stone,
10 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ebb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ebb. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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