ebb and flow
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A recurrent pattern of coming and going.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Sources & notes
Listed on Wikipedia “Irreversible binomial” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29). Figurative class: Metaphor (PIE-English corpus, CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31).
Common questions
What does “ebb and flow” mean?
A recurrent pattern of coming and going.
Is “ebb and flow” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.