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
Annie Vainshtein, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
Remember the eclipse glasses many of us wore for the solar eclipse in 2024?
—Charlie Gile, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026
Bernard Condon, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
This is the 11th time a member of the Colorado Avalanche or Quebec Nordiques has achieved or eclipsed 50 goals in a regular season.
—Jack Lowenstein, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for eclipse
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Noun
But her father’s case is a violent eclipse, always looming over her.
—Annie Vainshtein, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
Remember the eclipse glasses many of us wore for the solar eclipse in 2024?
—Charlie Gile, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
At that level, the offering would easily eclipse the $29 billion that Saudi Aramco raised in its IPO in 2019.
—Bernard Condon, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
This is the 11th time a member of the Colorado Avalanche or Quebec Nordiques has achieved or eclipsed 50 goals in a regular season.
—Jack Lowenstein, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
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 Apr. 2026.
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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