Definition of ascend
intransitive verb
1a : to move upward the balloon ascendedb : to slope upward The path ascends through the woods.
2a : to rise from a lower level or degree ascend to powerb : to go back in time or in order of genealogical succession
transitive verb
1 : to go or move up ascend a staircase
2 : to succeed to : occupy ascend the throne
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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 of ascend from the Web
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A: On the face of it the Alpine Symphony is a vivid musical description of a day’s journey ascending and descending a mountain, and of the emotions this stirs in the wanderer.
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David Henderson, a passenger who had intended to fly home to Bangkok, Thailand, told NBC News that the plane was still ascending after takeoff when a male passenger began running up and down the aisle from the back of the plane.
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The Cubs hope Butler, who was 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in his first three starts, can ascend after a rough beginning with the Rockies the same way Arrieta did after he was traded to the Cubs in July 2013 after a miserable start with the Orioles.
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According to Christian tradition, Jesus ascended to heaven on Ascension Thursday, which is 10 days prior to Pentecost.
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The magazine believes the team’s worth will ascend higher because of drafting Ben Simmons with the first overall pick in the 2016 draft.
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Venus ascends the eastern, morning heavens early in June, brilliantly capturing our cosmic hearts at -4.5 magnitude, quite bright.
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If the weather cooperates, the 13-year-old Naperville girl and her father, Rodney Westlake, will be standing on a glacier Sunday preparing to ascend to the top of Denali.
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This is dictated by a ascending order according to a skill value assigned to each pilot.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ascend'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of ascend
Middle English, from Latin ascendere, from ad- + scandere to climb — more at scan
First Known Use: 14th century
ASCEND Defined for English Language Learners
ascend
playDefinition of ascend for English Language Learners
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: to go up : to rise or move toward the sky
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: to slope or lead upward
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: to rise to a higher or more powerful position in a government, company, etc.
ASCEND Defined for Kids
ascend
playDefinition of ascend for Students
ascended
;ascending
1 : to go or move up We ascended the hill.
2 : to rise to a higher or more powerful position Abraham Lincoln ascended to the presidency in 1861.
Word Root of ascend
The Latin word scandere, meaning “to climb,” gives us the root scend. Words from the Latin scandere have something to do with climbing. To ascend is to climb upward. To descend is to climb downward. To transcend is to rise above or climb over something's limits.
Medical Dictionary
ascend
playMedical Definition of ascend
: to move upward: asa: to conduct nerve impulses toward or to the brain nerve fibers that ascend to a nucleus of the brain ascending and descending tractsb: to affect the extremities and especially the lower limbs first and then the central nervous system ascending paralysis
Learn More about ascend
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See words that rhyme with ascend Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ascend Spanish Central: Translation of ascend Nglish: Translation of ascend for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ascend for Arabic speakers
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