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Definitions

ebb and flow

NOUN
current
Synonyms
STRONGEST
flood river stream tide
STRONG
course draught drift flux jet juice progression run rush spate
WEAK
tidal motion
NOUN
ups and downs
Synonyms
WEAK
good and bad times peaks and valleys systole and diastole wax and wane
NOUN
wash
Synonyms
STRONG
eddy flow gush heave lapping murmur roll rush spurt surge surging sweep swell swirl swishing undulation
VERB
billow
Synonyms
STRONGEST
undulate
STRONG
balloon belly bloat bounce bulge heave pitch ripple rock roll swell toss wave
WEAK
puff up rise and fall rise up
Antonyms
STRONG
shrink stabilize
VERB
fluctuate
Synonyms
STRONGEST
oscillate seesaw vary veer waver
STRONG
alter alternate flutter hesitate shift swing undulate vibrate wave
WEAK
be undecided blow hot and cold go up and down hem and haw rise and fall yo-yo
Antonyms
STRONGEST
remain stay
STRONG
continue
WEAK
hold persist

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.

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

The actual figures will ebb and flow with changes in monthly expenses, inflation, your investment returns and, of course, taxes.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 22, 2026

History shows that Latin American stock markets are closely related with the ebb and flow of commodity markets.

From Barron's • Jan. 5, 2026

Wherever Harry went inside the tiny cottage or its garden, he could hear the constant ebb and flow of the sea, like the breathing of some great, slumbering creature.

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling