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
Andrej Prša, The Conversation, 23 July 2025
The agreement’s average annual value of $41 million eclipses the previous record contract for a defender set by Cleveland Browns defensive lineman and reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett in March.
—Will Graves, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2025
Zack Meisel, New York Times, 25 July 2025
That is a new series high, eclipsing the previous one, set just a week ago by Episode 4 (3.8 million).
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for eclipse
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Noun
The shapes of these eclipses allow astronomers to find out the stars’ radii using straightforward geometry.
—Andrej Prša, The Conversation, 23 July 2025
The agreement’s average annual value of $41 million eclipses the previous record contract for a defender set by Cleveland Browns defensive lineman and reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett in March.
—Will Graves, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2025
Verb
Only Ichiro himself has eclipsed that total since, with his MLB-record 262 in 2004.
—Zack Meisel, New York Times, 25 July 2025
That is a new series high, eclipsing the previous one, set just a week ago by Episode 4 (3.8 million).
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 24 July 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 29 Jul. 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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