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ebb

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verb

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word ebb distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of ebb are abate, subside, and wane. While all these words mean "to die down in force or intensity," ebb suggests the receding of something (such as the tide) that commonly comes and goes.

the ebbing of daylight

When could abate be used to replace ebb?

While the synonyms abate and ebb are close in meaning, abate stresses the idea of progressive diminishing.

the storm abated

When can subside be used instead of ebb?

In some situations, the words subside and ebb are roughly equivalent. However, subside implies the ceasing of turbulence or agitation.

the protests subsided after a few days

When might wane be a better fit than ebb?

The words wane and ebb can be used in similar contexts, but wane suggests the fading or weakening of something good or impressive.

waning enthusiasm

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
Noun
Being at a low ebb and suffering from anxiety about other stuff, this was not any other day. Davey Winder, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025 Yet the relationship between the security state and the Republican Party is perhaps at its lowest ebb since World War II. Matthew Karp, Harper's Magazine, 2 Oct. 2024
Verb
One summer, Herr started developing an adjustable socket for his prostheses, which tended to loosen as swelling in his legs ebbed in the course of a day. Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024 Prices peaked at $4.82 a dozen then before falling by more than half, to $2.04 a dozen, the following summer, as the outbreaks ebbed. Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 28 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ebb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ebb
Noun
  • His environmental project launched the Institute’s research via an extensive study of the relationship between business practices and environmental deterioration.
    Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025
  • Shot over five tumultuous years, the film traces Noam’s journey in tandem with the region’s steady deterioration.
    Leo Barraclough, Variety, 10 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Conditions are deteriorating in a network of Syrian prisons holding terrorists of the Islamic State.
    Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025
  • Forecasters warned that conditions could deteriorate quickly with little warning and suggested people park away from trees, charge electronics and be prepared to evacuate quickly if needed.
    Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Africa’s lion population has decreased by nearly half over the past quarter century, according to the African Wildlife Foundation, and the lion is regionally extinct in 15 African countries.
    Kathryn Romeyn, AFAR Media, 11 Feb. 2025
  • In other second-quarter statistics, there was a 50.9 percent gross margin rate, representing an increase of 110 basis points year-over-year; inventory decreased 1.3 percent last quarter to 404.6 million euros.
    David Moin, WWD, 11 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • In the United States, there have been recent declines in some parents getting their children vaccinated, driven largely by the spread of misinformation, including the misconception that vaccination may be tied to autism.
    Jacqueline Howard, CNN, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Why Leaders Are Resigning: The Three Critical Factors Erosion Of Trust in Leadership The report shows that only 29% of employees trust their immediate managers—a dramatic decline.
    Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Many are barely able to pay their staff livable wages, causing rampant turnover and a scarcity of educators, further worsening educational outcomes.
    Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2025
  • According to the Financial Health Network’s Financial Health Pulse 2024 report, 70% of American households remain financially unhealthy with day-to-day financial realities worsening for many.
    Shahar Ziv, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • By most measures, political violence subsided after January 2021, in part because hundreds of participants in the January 6 attack were convicted and imprisoned.
    STEVEN LEVITSKY, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2025
  • Ultimately, the north winds subsided and hundreds of firefighters and volunteers got the fire under control.
    Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Red and declinations to rust and burgundy at Ferragamo and Bottega Veneta.
    WWD, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
  • Thomas said the sheriff's office presented the case to the district attorney's office for declination purposes only because of Suff's prior convictions and death sentence.
    Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 15 Aug. 2024
Verb
  • The show from Sister and Universal International Studios is set in a near-future Margate, against a backdrop of soaring inequality, as Chance discovers life and love while being forced to fight for her family and friends’ survival in a world that’s crumbling around her.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2025
  • Typically under him, Newcastle are not a team that crumbles after conceding.
    Liam Tharme, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ebb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ebb. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.

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