ascended; ascending; ascends
1
a
: to move upward
the balloon ascended
b
: to slope upward
The path ascends through the woods.
c
: to conduct nerve impulses toward or to the brain
an ascending somatosensory pathway
2
a
: to rise from a lower level or degree
ascend to power
b
: to go back in time or in order of genealogical succession
c
: to pass from lower to higher musical notes
C – E ascending
1
: to go or move up
ascend a staircase
2
: to succeed to : occupy
ascend the throne
Examples of ascend in a Sentence
They watched their balloons slowly ascend into the sky.
Divers must not ascend too rapidly to the water's surface.
She believed that when she died, her soul would ascend to heaven.
Several paths ascend to the top of the mountain.
stairs ascending to the attic
John Adams ascended to the presidency in 1797.
She worked as a clerk before ascending to her current position.
Recent Examples on the Web
Janney joined The Diplomat in the show’s second season, playing Vice President Grace Penn — who (spoiler alert) will be ascending to the presidency following the death of President William Rayburn (Michael McKean) in the final moments of the season.
—
Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2025
These breaks had been established as a tradition ever since Charles ascended to the throne.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 26 Sep. 2025
At the end of the performance, set to a serene backtrack, the three women ascended the steps to pose for a photo.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2025
The speculation spread online, leading some Christians to begin planning for the event, while others satirized about ascending into the sky.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ascend
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.
Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2025
These breaks had been established as a tradition ever since Charles ascended to the throne.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 26 Sep. 2025
At the end of the performance, set to a serene backtrack, the three women ascended the steps to pose for a photo.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2025
The speculation spread online, leading some Christians to begin planning for the event, while others satirized about ascending into the sky.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ascend
Cite this Entry
“Ascend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ascend. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ascend
verb
as·cend
ə-ˈsend 
Medical Definition
ascend
intransitive verb
as·cend
ə-ˈsend
: to move upward: as
a
: to conduct nerve impulses toward or to the brain
nerve fibers that ascend to a nucleus of the brain
ascending and descending tracts
b
: to affect the extremities and especially the lower limbs first and then the central nervous system
ascending paralysis
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share