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
Synonyms
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
Phil Plait, Scientific American, 9 Jan. 2025
Never miss a rocket launch, meteor shower, eclipse or other event that’s out of this world.
—Michael Roston, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2025
Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2025
But the game has changed — that era’s drugs eclipsed by the obliterants flooding in now.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 3 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for eclipse 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
The exact times of the eclipse will depend on your location, so check the Time and Date site to find out.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 9 Jan. 2025
Never miss a rocket launch, meteor shower, eclipse or other event that’s out of this world.
—Michael Roston, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2025
Verb
Nabers, remember, set a franchise record with 109 catches this season, eclipsing Steve Smith’s 107 from 2009.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2025
But the game has changed — that era’s drugs eclipsed by the obliterants flooding in now.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 3 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for eclipse
Articles Related to eclipse
Dictionary Entries Near eclipse
Cite this Entry
“Eclipse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eclipse. Accessed 11 Feb. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share