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
Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
Overdose deaths seem to be falling as pandemic-era isolation ebbs and access to life-saving medications like Naloxone grows.
—Alex Fitzpatrick, Axios, 25 Feb. 2025
Greg O'Keeffe, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024
Aquifers in Chula Vista (in San Diego County), Santa Ana (Orange County) and Santa Clara (Bay Area) were seen to ebb and swell with periods, respectively, of drought and precipitation.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ebb
Noun
Fans gear up for Moyes’ return (Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Moyes walked into a club at a miserably low ebb.
—Verb
De Jong has five more starts than Pepi, and three fewer goals which would suggest that, at 34, his prolific powers are beginning to ebb.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for ebb
Noun
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As leaders in the industry who have spent countless hours underground repairing failing gas lines, our licensed gas contractors have witnessed firsthand the deterioration of our state’s natural gas infrastructure.—
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Not spending enough time in the two deep stages of slumber might speed up the deterioration of parts of the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease, a new study found.—
Verb
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And regardless of today’s numbers, the labor market could deteriorate very quickly amid Trump’s new tariffs, according to Yardeni Research.—
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Based on the aforementioned trends, employment outcomes haven’t gotten better over the past decade and are likely to deteriorate further.—
Verb
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In terms of a mechanism, the rejection seems to decrease levels of a neuropeptide in the brain, which increases after mating, leading Heberlein et al.—
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Keeping those cuts on the books would decrease revenue by $4.5 trillion from 2025 through 2034, according to estimates from the Tax Foundation.—
Noun
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Apparel exports from Turkey saw a decline of 6 percent in January-February 2025, and a drop of 4.47 percent year-on-year in 2024, with the last month of the year falling almost 11 percent.—
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The exhibition community and studios alike have suffered some cruel blows, but for now the domestic marketplace seems to be settling in at around a 20% decline from 2019.—
Verb
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Stress can worsen blood sugar levels and cause potential other complications.—
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The impact has been particularly hard on egg-producing farms, leading to higher egg prices — a scenario worsened by the massive scale at which many U.S. producers operate.—
Verb
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The swelling in the area never subsided, prompting surgery to clean up bone spurs that had traveled dangerously close to his Achilles tendon.—
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The rain, expected to begin late Sunday, will subside by Monday afternoon, but below-average temperatures will hang around all week, according to the National Weather Service.—
Noun
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In contrast, during 2016-16 the lunar declination varied from only 18.5 degrees north to 18.5 degrees south.—
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Red and declinations to rust and burgundy at Ferragamo and Bottega Veneta.—
Verb
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When workers suspect the game is rigged in favor of the boss's nephew or the CEO's daughter, the belief that hard work leads to recognition—the backbone of productive workplaces—begins to crumble.—
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The Wild, who are crumbling at the seams, fell to 1-4-2 in their past seven thanks to an 0-1-2 road trip.—
Cite this Entry
“Ebb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ebb. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.
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