ebb and flow

English

Noun

ebb and flow (plural ebbs and flows)

1. The flowing out and in of the tide.
2. (figuratively) A large flowing out and in, or any waxing and waning of fortunes or activity.
   • October 29 2001, The New Yorker Online

     I want to hear the roaring ebb and flow of Broadway.

Related terms

• at a low ebb

Translations

flowing out and in of the tide

Dutch: eb en vloed French: flux et reflux Georgian: მიმოქცევა (mimokceva), მიქცევ-მოქცევა (mikcev-mokceva) German: Ebbe und Flut Hindi: ज्वारभाटा (hi) (jvārbhāṭā) Hungarian: árapály (hu) Irish: tuile agus trá Japanese: 浮き沈み (ukishizumi), 干満 (ja) (kanman) Persian: جزر و مد (jazr-o- mad) Swedish: ebb och flod

Verb

ebb and flow (third-person singular simple present ebbs and flows, present participle ebbing and flowing, simple past and past participle ebbed and flowed)

1. To alternately ebb and flow, as:
   1. (of the tides) To recede and advance.
      • c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:

        As true we are as flesh and blood can be: / The sea will ebb and flow, heaven show his face

   2. (figuratively) To wax and wane.
      • 2025 June 8, Jonathan Jurejko, “Alcaraz stuns Sinner in extraordinary French Open final”, in BBC‎:

        The quality of his service game varied as the contest ebbed and flowed, but landing 54% of his first serves over the whole match was a telling statistic.

See also

• come and go