as in to climb
to move or extend upward
the path ascended so steeply at one point that we had to scramble up on our hands and knees
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Recent Examples of ascend
Nix is quickly ascending into this role.
—
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
Yet Barbara is so much more than a foil; Rosenberg sketches out the life of a woman who dreamed of ascending in status, of moving from working-class Brooklyn to the Upper East Side on the arm of a surgeon.
—Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
In 2004, though, NASCAR left; the small-town infrastructure was starting to buck up against NASCAR’s ascending popularity — something racing officials wanted to capitalize on by building state-of-the-art tracks out West.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 2 Apr. 2026
Trump now has built a similarly strong relationship with Charles, who ascended the British throne in 2022 following the death of his long-reigning mother.
—Tiago Ventura, Time, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ascend
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
Yet Barbara is so much more than a foil; Rosenberg sketches out the life of a woman who dreamed of ascending in status, of moving from working-class Brooklyn to the Upper East Side on the arm of a surgeon.
—Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
In 2004, though, NASCAR left; the small-town infrastructure was starting to buck up against NASCAR’s ascending popularity — something racing officials wanted to capitalize on by building state-of-the-art tracks out West.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 2 Apr. 2026
Trump now has built a similarly strong relationship with Charles, who ascended the British throne in 2022 following the death of his long-reigning mother.
—Tiago Ventura, Time, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ascend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ascend
Verb
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There was a blithe, mildly stoned look in everyone’s eyes, and most of the women were dressed like gnomes while all the men appeared ergonomically outfitted to climb a cliff face but were instead commuting to their office jobs.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
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Beckham climbed over a short barrier and spent a couple of minutes with fans who leaned down from the stands as the man who started all this 12 years ago signed autographs and posed for selfies.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Now there's another big one; the cost of nitrogen fertilizer, which often comes in the form of urea, is rising due to war.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Pisces February 19 – March 20 A fresh voice rises from within you.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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About 20% of the world's oil flows throw the strait, and Iran's ability to block the flow of tankers has roiled the global economy, sending oil prices soaring.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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It’s been more than three years since Artemis I, the only other time NASA’s SLS rocket and Orion capsule have soared.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ascend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ascend. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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