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
Miller played through lower back pain for much of the last two months of the 2025 season, ascending the prospect rankings and stealing 22 bases across August and September despite his condition.
—
Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Grainge’s son Elliot ascended through the record industry with his 10k Projects label, and now heads UMG’s competitor Atlantic Records.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
Protest Passion Project The Climb was first unveiled by Beta Cinema at the European Film Market in February 2022, with Delevingne (Carnival Row) attached as a daredevil climber who protests against oil drilling in the Arctic by ascending The Shard.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 3 June 2026
Montsià Hills, Catalonia Hikers after something special — and prepared to take the chance of cloud — could consider ascending to la Torreta del Montsià, at 2,506 ft.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ascend
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Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Grainge’s son Elliot ascended through the record industry with his 10k Projects label, and now heads UMG’s competitor Atlantic Records.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
Protest Passion Project The Climb was first unveiled by Beta Cinema at the European Film Market in February 2022, with Delevingne (Carnival Row) attached as a daredevil climber who protests against oil drilling in the Arctic by ascending The Shard.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 3 June 2026
Montsià Hills, Catalonia Hikers after something special — and prepared to take the chance of cloud — could consider ascending to la Torreta del Montsià, at 2,506 ft.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 2 June 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 4 Jun. 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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