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éclipser

eclipse, overshadow

verb eh-kleep-SEH Rare

Also means

slip away, disappear quietly

Usage Note

Éclipser has two common uses: transitively it means to outshine or overshadow someone (il éclipse tous ses rivaux — he eclipses all his rivals); reflexively s'éclipser is a polite or humorous way to say 'to slip away quietly', as when leaving a party without saying goodbye. Both uses are frequent in modern French.

Examples

"Elle s'est éclipsée sans dire au revoir."

Natural Translation

She slipped away without saying goodbye.

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