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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ebb
Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
Worker satisfaction is at its lowest ebb since 2020.
—Chris Tomlinson, Houston Chronicle, 5 Feb. 2026
Michael Santoli, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
But eventually, the anger ebbed; replaced by an all-too-familiar ache of grief laced with longing.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ebb
Noun
The budding photographer started bringing a camera with him on his underwater adventures to document his dives, with imagery posted on social media sharing sea species such as leopard sharks and swaying kelp forests that dance with the ebb of the ocean.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
Worker satisfaction is at its lowest ebb since 2020.
—Chris Tomlinson, Houston Chronicle, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
This in a year when share buybacks are ebbing due to huge capital-spending demands.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
But eventually, the anger ebbed; replaced by an all-too-familiar ache of grief laced with longing.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ebb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ebb
Noun
-
Over the last decade, the parish began to lose these buildings to age, mold and deterioration.—
Desiree Mathurin
April 28,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The Swiss Eugen Bleuler, a follower of Kraepelin, replaced the term dementia praecox, which implied hopeless deterioration, with the softer term schizophrenia.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But the consequences of a destabilized Mali, compounded by the wider fallout from the Iran war, are unlikely to stop at its borders and threatens to deepen a deteriorating security crisis across one of the world’s most volatile regions.—
Ulf Laessing,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The mammal’s health deteriorated as it became repeatedly stranded in shallow waters, and unsuccessful efforts to coax it toward deeper seas were livestreamed across the globe.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The elimination of prop bets would decrease revenue by more than $2 million per year, according to the fiscal note produced by the Legislative Council Staff.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
And while low-cost housing has decreased, rents have risen.—
Desiree Mathurin
April 24,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The in-flight tests yielded a substantial decline in soot and ice with 100 percent SAF.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Correction-level declines occurred in 71% of those years, versus only 44% in other years.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That order is crumbling, and many of our former strengths built on our close ties to the United States have become our weaknesses.—
Keely Bastow,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The top of his head drilled Bona’s chest, and the Celtics guard crumbled to the court, holding his neck.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The still-plentiful coal trains south from Denver will subside as the coal plants at Pueblo, Fountain and other places retire in coming years.—
Allen Best,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
And while the conflict in the Middle East temporarily warded off deflation, the gains have since subsided as Chinese industry continues to run below capacity, the chief economist for Asia Pacific at French bank Natixis argued.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The declinations came as the DOJ reassigned and cut prosecutors working on environmental cases.—
Ken B. Morales,
ProPublica,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Federal regulations require special counsels to provide the attorney general with a report that explain prosecution or declination decisions once their work is concluded.—
Jacob Rosen,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The scale and location of the development have drawn concern from some residents, who say the project could worsen traffic congestion and may not be affordable for middle-class families.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, the global memory crisis has worsened, forcing tech giants to pay up for the capacity needed to satisfy their data center ambitions.—
Jordan Novet,Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ebb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ebb. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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