ebbs 1 of 2

noun

plural of ebb
as in declines
a change to a lower state or level a surprising ebb in the quality of workmanship in goods coming from that country

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ebbs

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of ebb
1
as in deteriorates
to become worse or of less value the fortunes of the town slowly ebbed as factory after textile factory closed

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in subsides
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

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 ebbs
Noun
Years of going through the ebbs and flows of playoff games had the Knicks ready. — Zach Harper, New York Times, 16 June 2026 Construction ebbs and flows with cyclical interest rates. — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 4 June 2026 Throughout its history the company has gone through the ebbs and flows of the jewelry sector, impacted to various extents by wars, macroeconomic volatility and geopolitical disruption. — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 27 May 2026 Armas pointed to the ebbs and flows of development throughout the year. — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 20 May 2026 Durglo is no stranger to the ebbs and flows of federal dollars and has always pieced together funding from multiple sources, including state government, nonprofits, and federal agencies, to carry out climate work. — Ellis Juhlin, NPR, 18 May 2026 Zayn is the perfect example of anyone dealing with the ebbs and flows of a business. — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026 For all the ebbs and flows of her career, Larsson has remained uncompromising in her integrity. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 11 May 2026 The ebbs and flows will send you through it. — Essence, 11 May 2026
Verb
The district’s cash on hand naturally ebbs and flows depending on when revenue arrives, but repeated Cook County property tax delays last year have deepened the problem. — Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026 Participation ebbs and flows with the economy, dropping to 35 million in 2019. — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 19 June 2026 Life ebbs and flows in seasons. — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 17 June 2026 Student housing provides an obvious entry point, but occupancy ebbs and flows based on the academic calendar. — Matt Baker, New York Times, 12 May 2026 The good news is over 162 games production inevitably ebbs and flows, so before long the Red Sox will make some adjustments and the results should improve. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026 Typically, that ebbs over the course of the season, as players play together more often. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ebbs
  1. declines
  2. deteriorates
  3. subsides
  4. deteriorations
  5. descends
  6. decreases
  7. falls
  8. crumbles
Noun
  • West Coast gateways gained share, while several East and Gulf Coast ports recorded declines.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Whenever monthly margin debt has grown above 45% year over year since 1960, there were declines in the stock market five out of six times, data from Fundstrat Global Advisors shows.
    — Sean Conlon, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of declines
Verb
  • As her brother Aldwin’s mental health deteriorates, Lil considers risking her future to travel to him.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Keep the effort easy enough that your movement quality improves rather than deteriorates.
    — Dana Santas, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of deteriorates
Verb
  • Chadchart said despite the heavy rain, flooding should recede once the rain subsides, as city officials are working to drain floodwaters as quickly as possible.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Ideally, those refugees would remain in human care for years or even decades until the mussel invasion subsides.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of subsides
Noun
  • Similar deteriorations took place in Tuscany and in Naples.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026
Definition of deteriorations
Verb
  • Dawn breaks over the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii as the Starship, now out of the re-entry heating zone, descends toward splashdown looking none the worse for the wear.
    — William Harwood, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Beneath it, museumgoers line up to drop a ball into a teak ramp that descends down the length of the Guggenheim spiral.
    — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of descends
Verb
  • The front finally moves through on Friday, but some heavy rain will still be possible early, before the chance of rain decreases into the weekend.
    — Michael Autovino, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The Nebraska researchers also found that hafnia becomes more stable as its thickness decreases.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of decreases
Noun
  • On Thursday, that included two slip-and-falls that resulted in a 64-yard gain to set up a touchdown and a 21-yard gain on third-and-21 to move the chains and set up another Buccaneers touchdown.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The 1,700-meter-wide falls are undeniably impressive—after all, this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
    — Charukesi Ramadurai, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of falls
Verb
  • When new, concrete possesses a thin, temporarily protective layer that, if not maintained, will wear away, exposing the interior, which gradually crumbles.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The Packers’ identity is that of a team that can’t shut the door, one that crumbles when momentum turns in a hostile away environment.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of crumbles

Browse Nearby Words

ebbing
ebbs
ebony
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Cite this Entry

“Ebbs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ebbs. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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