1
as in to fall
to lead or extend downward
the pathway descends to the river bank
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
the order of the classroom descended into chaos when the teacher left the room
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to plunge
to go to a lower level especially abruptly
leaves slowly descended from the branches in the gentle autumn wind wait for the elevator to descend
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of descend
The Maracana descended into silence at full time, as the nation struggled to comprehend what had happened.
—
Will Jeanes, New York Times, 20 June 2026
Swedish soccer fans descended on Texas this week to watch their team take on the Netherlands in the World Cup.
—Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2026
The two, alongside friend Cameron Munro, were among the thousands of Scottish supporters who descended on Fenway Park earlier this week, to the amazement and delight of many Red Sox fans.
—Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2026
Sam Adams said its Boston taproom ran out of their famed Samuel Adams Boston Lager last weekend after Scottish fans descended on the city.
—Kyle Hightower, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for descend
Will Jeanes, New York Times, 20 June 2026
Swedish soccer fans descended on Texas this week to watch their team take on the Netherlands in the World Cup.
—Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2026
The two, alongside friend Cameron Munro, were among the thousands of Scottish supporters who descended on Fenway Park earlier this week, to the amazement and delight of many Red Sox fans.
—Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2026
Sam Adams said its Boston taproom ran out of their famed Samuel Adams Boston Lager last weekend after Scottish fans descended on the city.
—Kyle Hightower, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for descend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descend
Verb
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Scheffler, who fell nine shots behind with a pair of bogeys at the start, shot 32 on the back nine by chipping in from 65 feet on the 14th for the start of three straight birdies.—
Doug Ferguson,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
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Overall homicides in the United States have fallen for four consecutive years, according to FBI data analyzed by the Washington Post.—
Sara-James Ranta,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 June 2026
Verb
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has been accused of secluding himself from the deteriorating realities of his invasion of Ukraine.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
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Even though the mice on the sugar-free diet did not gain any extra weight compared to the control group, their internal health indicators deteriorated.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Designed with a plunging neckline, modest bum coverage, and compressive fabric with UPF 50 sun protection, the elegant silhouette offers rich-girl vacation energy that could easily double as a bodysuit with shorts.—
Olivia Cigliano,
InStyle,
20 June 2026
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Oil stockpiles at the critical oil hub of Cushing, Oklahoma, have plunged to the bare minimum of what is needed to operate.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Ukrainian drones monitor these areas for resupply movement by small trucks, ground robots, or dismounted troops.—
Vikram Mittal,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
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Chiles, though, did rebound with a clean beam and dismount for a 9.9500 score to get the Bruins back in it.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The plans have touched off stiff opposition from neighbors worried about soil erosion, already a problem in an area of steeply sloping topography, and potential well contamination.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
21 June 2026
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The sail should slope slightly downward so that rain doesn’t pool.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Verb
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During the morning low tide, while there was still a small stretch of sand, excavators were working to pile large rip-rap boulders next to the base of the crumbling Pacifica Pier.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
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Cube and pan-fry firm tofu until golden, crumble into scrambles or tacos, marinate and bake, or add to curries and stir-fries.—
Lauren Panoff,
Verywell Health,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Gas dipped below $4 a gallon for the first time since March.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
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World Cup sensation Freddy dipped his toes into the country music world in epic fashion.—
David Hookstead OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
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The footmen are each positioned to spring to his side of the carriage to assist their respective passengers in disembarking, thus halving the queueing.—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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Petersen said flying business class direct was a great option for passengers who could potentially sleep for eight hours without the interruption of disembarking at Singapore.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Descend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descend. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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