EBBING Synonyms: 186 Similar and Opposite Words

ebbing 1 of 3

noun

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

ebbing

2 of 3

adjective

as in waning

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

ebbing

3 of 3

verb

present participle of ebb

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

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

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 ebbing

Noun

As forcible mobilisation grows to fill Ukraine’s ebbing ranks, so will anger at the presidency and military. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026 What's more, CEOs say there are no signs of consumer demand ebbing. — Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026 Perplexed, Smith texted her friend Jackie Caplan-Auerbach to see if the Western Washington University seismologist might know if this odd ebbing and flowing could be the result of a nearby landslide. — Megan I. Gannon, Scientific American, 6 May 2026 Those who feel their power ebbing, however, may bluster and bellow. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2026 Any ebbing of drone strikes could be deceptive, with Iran amassing them for another swarming assault. — Mikhail Alexseev, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2026 In that period, with the Covid pandemic ebbing, thousands were detained and sent home. — Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025

Verb

The autocracies are surging, and democracies ebbing. — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026 That number has fluctuated from a high of 115,000 in May to a low of about 16,000 on the day before this column was published, ebbing and flowing as tickets were purchased, new batches were released and FIFA (maybe) pulled back others. — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 10 June 2026 The emergency itself seems to be ebbing. — Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 2 June 2026 An outbreak forced farmers and commercial producers to slaughter entire broods of egg-laying hens, but ebbing cases in the second half of last year helped restore egg supplies, said Mark Jordan, the executive director of agricultural research firm LEAP Market Analytics. — ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026 The effects of its costly price war with T-Mobile seem to be ebbing. — Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ebbing

Noun

The City is aware of deterioration to the pavers surrounding the memorial related to the seawall conditions in this section of the Riverwalk.

— Bri Buckley, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
The deterioration in DeepMind’s talent flows coincided with the lab tightening its publication rules, Hurd said, something that Zeki researchers say may have weakened one of the lab’s most important draws for research-minded staff.

— Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of deterioration

Verb

Venezuela's industry has suffered from decades of underinvestment, deteriorating infrastructure and the loss of technical expertise.

— Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
The woods surrounding the cottage also needed work to remove trash, deteriorating hunting structures and invasive species, the letter said.

— John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of deteriorating

Verb

Two of them coincide with areas where satellite radar shows that the ground is actively subsiding.

— Nolan Roth, Scientific American, 23 Aug. 2026
Key Background The crisis appeared to be subsiding somewhat Friday as Spanish authorities said a majority of the 60,000 people who crossed into Ceuta from Morocco over the past several days had returned home.

— Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of subsiding

Noun

Asked about demand amid geopolitical uncertainty and extreme heat in Europe, Kirby said the airline had seen no meaningful weakening.

— Doyinsola Oladipo, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Forecasters said Lala would cross the waters of the marine national monument for a few days at hurricane strength despite some gradual weakening.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of weakening

Verb

On a nearby section of the coast, crews have been placing rock to shore up a crumbling coastline and keep nearby trains running.

— Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
When a team is crumbling, a rare sturdy presence becomes much more than an afterthought.

— Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of crumbling

Verb

Parton didn’t stop with Dollywood By the early 1990s, Parton created The Dollywood Foundation with the goal of decreasing the high school drop out rate in Sevier County, which was hovering around 30%.

— Kimberlee Kruesi, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Over several days, gradually increase the proportion of the new food while decreasing the old food.

— Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of decreasing

Noun

In a total power blackout, the plant removes residual decay heat through natural convection rather than emergency electrical pumps or operator intervention.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026
Waytowich said crime is a symptom of much deeper problems on the north side of Jacksonville, from neighborhood decay to generational trauma and lack of job opportunities.

— Yona Gavino, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of decay

Browse Nearby Words

ebbed

ebbing

ebbs

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ebbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ebbing. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of ebbing

noun

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes