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
Under Udoka’s watch, ascending players Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson have earned league honors (All-Star selection and All-Defense, respectively), and experienced players have also improved their game; Dillon Brooks had the best shooting season of his career.
—
Kelly Iko, New York Times, 19 June 2025
Voluntary abdication has a precedent in Belgium: King Philippe ascended the throne in 2013 at age 53 after his father, King Albert II, abdicated at 79 due to health concerns.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 18 June 2025
Cho and Penn have both seen their careers ascend since the first movie.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2025
The song, which ascends from No. 4 to crown the list dated June 21, achieves its peak in its 18th week.
—Pamela Bustios, Billboard, 17 June 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.
Kelly Iko, New York Times, 19 June 2025
Voluntary abdication has a precedent in Belgium: King Philippe ascended the throne in 2013 at age 53 after his father, King Albert II, abdicated at 79 due to health concerns.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 18 June 2025
Cho and Penn have both seen their careers ascend since the first movie.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2025
The song, which ascends from No. 4 to crown the list dated June 21, achieves its peak in its 18th week.
—Pamela Bustios, Billboard, 17 June 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 22 Jun. 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