Illustration of eclipse
- E earth
- M moon in solar eclipse
- P penumbra
- S sun
- U umbra
1
a
: the total or partial obscuring of one celestial body by another
b
: the passing into the shadow of a celestial body compare occultation, transit
2
: a falling into obscurity or decline
3
: the state of being in eclipse plumage
eclipsed; eclipsing
Examples of eclipse in a Sentence
Noun
an eclipse of the sun
The popularity of television led to the eclipse of the radio drama.
an artist whose reputation has long been in eclipse
Verb
The sun was partially eclipsed by the moon.
Train travel was eclipsed by the growth of commercial airlines.
Recent Examples on the Web
Josh Dury, Space.com, 30 Apr. 2025
This partial eclipse wasn't as dynamic or as visible in as many places as last year's Great North American Eclipse.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2025
Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 21 Apr. 2025
For a long time, it has been eclipsed by other Spanish regions.
—Per and Britt Karlsson, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for eclipse
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Noun
One such composition involves combining multiple images of the various stages of the eclipse into a single frame.
—Josh Dury, Space.com, 30 Apr. 2025
This partial eclipse wasn't as dynamic or as visible in as many places as last year's Great North American Eclipse.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2025
Verb
The crux of the government's argument is that Google has unfair control of a huge market share in U.S. search, a valuation eclipsing $1 trillion.
—Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 21 Apr. 2025
For a long time, it has been eclipsed by other Spanish regions.
—Per and Britt Karlsson, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for eclipse
Cite this Entry
“Eclipse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eclipse. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
eclipse
1 of 2 noun1
a
: the total or partial hiding of a planet, star, or moon by another
b
: the passing into the shadow of a planet, star, or moon
2
: a falling into disgrace or out of use or public favor
eclipse
2 of 2 verb
eclipsed; eclipsing
1
: to cause an eclipse of
2
a
: to reduce in importance
b
: to do or be much better than : outshine
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