Meaning & use
ebbed and flowed
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Meaning
phraseidiom
repeatedly increased and decreased, or kept changing in a regular, wave-like way
Grammar: Used as a verb phrase after a subject: 'The noise ebbed and flowed.' It is not used before a noun.
Patterns
- something ebbed and flowed
- ebbed and flowed between something
The music from the party next door ebbed and flowed all night.
Public interest in the scandal ebbed and flowed over several months.
Her confidence ebbed and flowed depending on how the meetings went.
Common combinations
- interest ebbed and flowed
- Interest in the project ebbed and flowed as the deadline approached.
- conversation ebbed and flowed
- The conversation ebbed and flowed between jokes and serious topics.
- support ebbed and flowed
- Support for the new law ebbed and flowed during the campaign.
- ebbed and flowed like the tide
- The crowd's energy ebbed and flowed like the tide.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fluctuated
- More neutral and statistical; it does not suggest the smooth, wave-like movement that 'ebbed and flowed' does.
- wavered
- Suggests weakness or uncertainty rather than a natural rise and fall.
- oscillated
- More technical and often used for regular back-and-forth movement between two states.
Word family
- ebb verb
- To move away from the land, as the sea does; also used figuratively for something becoming weaker.
- flow verb
- To move steadily and continuously, like water.
- ebb and flow phrase
- The base form of this phrase, meaning a regular pattern of increase and decrease.
Commonly confused: ebbed and flowed or ebb and flow?
ebbed and flowed vs ebb and flow
'Ebb and flow' is the base form and can be a noun or a verb. 'Ebbed and flowed' is only the past tense verb form.
Practice
The level of excitement in the room ______ as the speeches continued.
Choose one answer.
'Ebbed and flowed' is the correct past tense form to match the past tense 'continued'. The other options mix tenses or use the wrong verb form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ebbed and flowed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.