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
Orion will ascend atop the Space Launch System rocket.
—
Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
World’s fastest mini-sub According to reports, the submersible is able to ascend and descend in the water column at angles up to 45 degrees.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 29 Mar. 2026
The go-for-broke concept, which includes a high-tech heist, a high-speed truck chase and a massive explosion of Cheetos dust, shows the levels to which marketers must ascend to capture consumer attention in media venues that constantly offer new stimuli.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
Or tackle the Cuilcagh Boardwalk Trail, also known as the Stairway to Heaven, which ascends through bogland and blanket bog to a ridge with sweeping views across the Fermanagh landscape.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ascend
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Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
World’s fastest mini-sub According to reports, the submersible is able to ascend and descend in the water column at angles up to 45 degrees.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 29 Mar. 2026
The go-for-broke concept, which includes a high-tech heist, a high-speed truck chase and a massive explosion of Cheetos dust, shows the levels to which marketers must ascend to capture consumer attention in media venues that constantly offer new stimuli.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
Or tackle the Cuilcagh Boardwalk Trail, also known as the Stairway to Heaven, which ascends through bogland and blanket bog to a ridge with sweeping views across the Fermanagh landscape.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Mar. 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 31 Mar. 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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