as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
seniors who stay active can keep at bay some of the inevitable ebbing of the memory that comes with advanced years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in waning
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in deteriorating
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 subsiding
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 ebbing
Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 16 Jan. 2026
The state’s political appetite to keep transitioning away from oil has been clearly ebbing as residents balk at the cost of everything in California, most notably the chronically high cost of gasoline and the periodic spikes during a hiccup in production.
—Tom Philp, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
Daylight was ebbing as rescuers set up.
—Alan Gionet, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
Zelensky is hobbled at home, power cuts and frontline casualties blighting morale, and the repeat agony of loss, diplomatic deceit and pressure, coupled with ebbing aid, lead so many to question where this story ends without a growing Russian win?
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 3 Dec. 2025
Some Fed officials worry about flying blind on data at a time when the most recent readings point to a softening labor market but inflation that, while ebbing slightly, is still considerably above the Fed’s 2% target.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 13 Nov. 2025
Rising drug and hospital costs are often cited as major culprits for rising health insurance costs, and neither shows signs of ebbing.
—Phil Galewitz, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
In that period, with the Covid pandemic ebbing, thousands were detained and sent home.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
Verb
They wed in September 2021, in the ebbing months of the pandemic.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 16 Jan. 2026
The state’s political appetite to keep transitioning away from oil has been clearly ebbing as residents balk at the cost of everything in California, most notably the chronically high cost of gasoline and the periodic spikes during a hiccup in production.
—Tom Philp, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
Daylight was ebbing as rescuers set up.
—Alan Gionet, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
Zelensky is hobbled at home, power cuts and frontline casualties blighting morale, and the repeat agony of loss, diplomatic deceit and pressure, coupled with ebbing aid, lead so many to question where this story ends without a growing Russian win?
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 3 Dec. 2025
Some Fed officials worry about flying blind on data at a time when the most recent readings point to a softening labor market but inflation that, while ebbing slightly, is still considerably above the Fed’s 2% target.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 13 Nov. 2025
Rising drug and hospital costs are often cited as major culprits for rising health insurance costs, and neither shows signs of ebbing.
—Phil Galewitz, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ebbing
Noun
-
Research has also overwhelmingly indicated that lack of sleep can lead to numerous health detriments, including chronic disease, mental health deterioration and even behavioral disorders.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Space travel has also been found to accelerate bone density loss and the destruction of blood cells, put pressure on the eyes that can cause vision problems, and lead to deterioration of muscle strength.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Even better, the peak of this shower, which should produce on average between 8 to 10 meteors per hour, will arrive under dark skies thanks to a meager waning crescent moon.—
Michael d'Estries,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Conditions at many of the detention centers were rapidly deteriorating.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
-
Khamenei has repeatedly blamed Israel and the United States for fomenting the protests, which broke out in response to deteriorating economic conditions.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Beyond the curse of high expectations, other headwinds that weighed on Eaton's shares appear to be subsiding, including capacity expansion.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
31 Dec. 2025
-
Hurricane conditions are occurring within the warning area in Cuba but expected to begin subsiding this afternoon.—
MIAMI HERALD HURRICANE BOT,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Developers are divided about how much this signals a weakening of what has been a scorchingly hot market for new multifamily housing.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Affordability has become a potent political issue, especially with the job market weakening.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And behind every man with a good name and a crumbling pile, there’s a wife shrewdly attending to the seating plan.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Even with oil shipments from Venezuela, widespread blackouts have persisted across Cuba given fuel shortages and a crumbling electric grid.—
Dánica Coto,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In her recommendation to reduce costs, Maeda suggested decreasing bimonthly water meter service charges for single-family utility customers by 25% and increasing the commodity per unit charge by 12% while maintaining the yearly rate of increase.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Hardware sales have been decreasing, which is problematic since subscriptions for connected fitness—arguably the most sustainable segment—rely significantly on consumers owning Peloton equipment.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In the steppe everything crumbles and decays.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
-
However, a crack can expose a tree to fungal infection or decay, which could lead to the tree dying.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ebbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ebbing. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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