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
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
The eclipse lasted about 30 seconds, which makes the minutes-long solar eclipses seen from Earth seem epic — but the events are comparatively brief on Mars because Phobos is about 157 times smaller in diameter than Earth’s moon, according to NASA.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024
Taylor Giorno, The Hill, 6 Nov. 2024
Key Facts Tesla’s shares rose to over $280 as of around 10:10 a.m. EST, pacing what would be a new record for the stock, eclipsing a previous high of $273.54 set on Oct. 27.
—Ty Roush, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
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
Kill off Sasha’s aunt and see the eclipse from her own backyard.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
The eclipse lasted about 30 seconds, which makes the minutes-long solar eclipses seen from Earth seem epic — but the events are comparatively brief on Mars because Phobos is about 157 times smaller in diameter than Earth’s moon, according to NASA.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
The price of one bitcoin also reached a record high Wednesday morning, eclipsing $73,881 before markets opened Wednesday.
—Taylor Giorno, The Hill, 6 Nov. 2024
Key Facts Tesla’s shares rose to over $280 as of around 10:10 a.m. EST, pacing what would be a new record for the stock, eclipsing a previous high of $273.54 set on Oct. 27.
—Ty Roush, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
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 29 Nov. 2024.
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