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
As the plane ascended, someone threw a grenade at it, damaging a wing.
—
Louis Menand, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
As the creators hashed out how Season 3 would wrap up everyone’s story, the show’s breakout stars, particularly Sweeney and Elordi, saw meteoric rises in fame, with Zendaya continuing to ascend as well.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2026
The Wall Group negotiates all these deals with cosmetics ambassadorships, hair product lines, top luxury brands like Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Prada, all while monitoring the work of stylists’ assistants to see who’s ready to ascend the ladder.
—Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2026
Wang Zhao | Afp | Getty Images A mysterious AI video model that has ascended global leaderboards has been confirmed as a project from Chinese tech giant Alibaba, in a development that could boost the company's artificial intelligence ambitions.
—Dylan Butts, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ascend
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Louis Menand, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
As the creators hashed out how Season 3 would wrap up everyone’s story, the show’s breakout stars, particularly Sweeney and Elordi, saw meteoric rises in fame, with Zendaya continuing to ascend as well.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2026
The Wall Group negotiates all these deals with cosmetics ambassadorships, hair product lines, top luxury brands like Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Prada, all while monitoring the work of stylists’ assistants to see who’s ready to ascend the ladder.
—Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2026
Wang Zhao | Afp | Getty Images A mysterious AI video model that has ascended global leaderboards has been confirmed as a project from Chinese tech giant Alibaba, in a development that could boost the company's artificial intelligence ambitions.
—Dylan Butts, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ascend
Cite this Entry
“Ascend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ascend. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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
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