ebb suggests the receding of something (such as the tide) that commonly comes and goes.

Idiom ebb and flow (Definition of ebb from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

The ebb or the ebb tide is one of the regular periods, usually two per day, when the sea gradually falls to a lower level as the tide moves away from the land. ...the spring ebb tide. We decided to leave on the …

ebb (ɛb) n. 1. the flowing back of the tide as the water returns to the sea. 2. a flowing backward or away; decline or decay. 3. a point or state of decline: His fortunes were at a low ebb.

Ebb definition: The receding or outgoing tide, occurring between the time when the tide is highest and the time when the following tide is lowest.

Jan 20, 2026 · Verb ebb (third-person singular simple present ebbs, present participle ebbing, simple past and past participle ebbed) (intransitive) to flow back or recede

EBB definition: the flowing back of the tide as the water returns to the sea (opposed to flood, flow). See examples of ebb used in a sentence.

[no object] 1 of a tide : to flow outward from the land waiting for the tide to ebb 2 : to get worse Their fortunes began to ebb. [= decline]

When something ebbs, it is declining, falling, or flowing away. The best time to look for sea creatures in tidal pools is when the tide is on the ebb — meaning it has receded from the shore.

ebb: The receding or outgoing tide, occurring between the time when the tide is highest and the time when the following tide is lowest.