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SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS

ebb

verb

To decline or gradually diminish.

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Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.

Gradually decline

Closest synonyms

wanedeclinediminishrecedesubsidelessenfade

Related words and expressions

fall awaylose strength

These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.

Usage distinction

Recede fits literal tides; wane and fade readily describe enthusiasm or strength.

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Test this word in the Comprehensive Synonym Exam

CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT

See ebb in use

Their enthusiasm began to ebb after the third delay.
Dictionary practice example.
After the first week of a neighborhood storytelling project, excitement began to ebb as volunteers encountered the slower work of editing recordings.
From Watching a Project Change.

Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.

Synonym reference scope and sources

The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.

How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license

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