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
Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2025
Ties reached their lowest ebb in January 2010 after the Israeli security service Mossad dispatched a 27-strong death squad to Dubai to assassinate Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a senior weapons procurer for Hamas.
—Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
Vanessa Taylor, Big Think, 25 Sep. 2025
With an unclear business model, then, any remaining enthusiasm in Washington for the Olkaria project — and, in all likelihood, the prospect of others like it in Africa — has ebbed.
—Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ebb
Noun
Marlins 70-79 asthe MLB season ebbs.
—Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2025
Ties reached their lowest ebb in January 2010 after the Israeli security service Mossad dispatched a 27-strong death squad to Dubai to assassinate Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a senior weapons procurer for Hamas.
—Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
Then as floodwaters slowly ebbed away, seeds for the harvest could be sown.
—Vanessa Taylor, Big Think, 25 Sep. 2025
With an unclear business model, then, any remaining enthusiasm in Washington for the Olkaria project — and, in all likelihood, the prospect of others like it in Africa — has ebbed.
—Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ebb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ebb
Noun
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The sharp deterioration in air quality this week comes following celebrations for Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, which traditionally involves the widespread use of firecrackers which release sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides into the air, as well as harmful heavy metals.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
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This isn’t to say writer and director Mary Bronstein’s film, about the agonizing deterioration of a woman whose life is falling down around her in near-apocalyptic fashion, isn’t worth watching.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Instead, the property has passed hands from private owner to private owner, hidden from view off a lonely winding road, slowly deteriorating over the years.—
Amanda Rosa
October 23,
Miami Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
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Grid operators are warning of steep increases in electricity demand for the first time in decades, leading utilities to race to expand capacity by reviving plans for natural-gas plants or building new ones, and, in some regions, even extending the life of deteriorating coal facilities.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As the Universe continues to expand, dark energy’s relative contributions to the energy density will rise, while the remaining components will continue to decrease in relative importance.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
24 Oct. 2025
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See what prices have increased and decreased.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Since 1928, significant market declines of at least 5% have happened in 92 out of 98 years.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
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One of the most popular college majors is seeing a significant decline in graduates, according to a new report from AEI.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The fouling problem worsens in warm climates, where biological activity peaks year-round.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
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As the lamprey crisis worsened, various chemical companies sent compounds to the lab, which was searching for a panacea.—
Katie Thornton,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Yet two years passed before the painting was discovered, and only then because Peruggia – who had kept the painting hidden in his Paris apartment all of that time, waiting for the furor over the theft to subside – attempted to sell it to an Italian art dealer.—
Mason Leath,
ABC News,
20 Oct. 2025
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After a moment, my sobs subsided.—
Sam Lipsyte,
New Yorker,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Presenting their findings in a lengthy declination memo, the prosecutors explicitly mentioned the two other investigations to bolster their recommendation that probable cause does not exist to charge Comey, according to sources familiar with the contents of the memo.—
Katherine Faulders,
ABC News,
6 Oct. 2025
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On those three dates, variations in the moon's position relative to Earth's equator — particularly its declination — can influence tidal forces that subtly affect Earth's rotation rate.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The dilapidated wooden trim and sagging porticos were spruced up a few years ago after preservationists complained to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, but the upstairs windows reveal glimpses of peeling paint, crumbling plaster, and collapsing ceilings inside.—
Kim Velsey,
Curbed,
20 Oct. 2025
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But in 2016, a bombshell study in Nature concluded that crumbling ice cliffs could trigger a runaway process of retreat, dramatically hastening the timeline.—
Evan Howell,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ebb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ebb. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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