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
Langbein’s Monica — having finally transcended her past and ascended to spiritual omniscience — becomes Jean’s interlocutor.
—
Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Upon entering, you’re immediately led to a beech staircase that ascends to the upper level.
—Ludovica Stevan, Architectural Digest, 21 Apr. 2026
Thus, the time interval (if the car does not simply stay on the first floor) on the second floor between a descending and an ascending elevator is very small.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 21 Apr. 2026
His background is primarily in hardware, having joined the product design team in 2001 and eventually ascending to become the senior vice president of hardware engineering in 2021.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ascend
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Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Upon entering, you’re immediately led to a beech staircase that ascends to the upper level.
—Ludovica Stevan, Architectural Digest, 21 Apr. 2026
Thus, the time interval (if the car does not simply stay on the first floor) on the second floor between a descending and an ascending elevator is very small.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 21 Apr. 2026
His background is primarily in hardware, having joined the product design team in 2001 and eventually ascending to become the senior vice president of hardware engineering in 2021.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 21 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 23 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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