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
Jamie Carter, Space.com, 31 Mar. 2025
When is the next solar eclipse What's next: There will be a September 21 partial eclipse that NASA said will be visible from Australia, Antarctica, the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.
—Kelly Tyko, Axios, 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
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
This alignment, rarely observed on land, made Saint Andrews a prime location for eclipse chasers after the rare sight.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 31 Mar. 2025
When is the next solar eclipse What's next: There will be a September 21 partial eclipse that NASA said will be visible from Australia, Antarctica, the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.
—Kelly Tyko, Axios, 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 26 Apr. 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