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Synonyms

ebb and flow

Idioms  

  1. A decline and increase, constant fluctuations. For example, He was fascinated by the ebb and flow of the Church's influence over the centuries. This expression alludes to the inward and outward movement of ocean tides. [Late 1500s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Here the selection of objects brings the ebb and flow of ideas and influences vividly to life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

Wars ebb and flow, and right now Ukraine's facing a harsh tide.

From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2026

There are signs this is more than the normal ebb and flow of executive reshuffling.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026

This doesn't mean you should question the natural ebb and flow of a long term relationship.

From BBC ● Feb. 4, 2026

Someone was playing a piano nearby, and the music drifted slowly in and out of my mind like the ebb and flow of ocean surf.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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