1
as in to fall
to lead or extend downward
the pathway descends to the river bank
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
the order of the classroom descended into chaos when the teacher left the room
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3
as in to plunge
to go to a lower level especially abruptly
leaves slowly descended from the branches in the gentle autumn wind wait for the elevator to descend
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4
as in to dismount
to come down from something (as a vehicle)
the driver descended from the truck's cab, dreading to see what he had hit
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of descend
Artists including Vic Reeves, Mr Doodle, Rankin, Modern Toss, Pam Hogg, Dion Kitson, Abigail Fallis and many more will descend on Lewis Cubitt Square at Coal Drops Yard on Saturday 20th September, transforming the space into a joyful pop-up art and comedy festival.
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Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
The figure entered the school grounds through a tunnel under Campus Drive, checking his cellphone before descending underground, according to a probable cause affidavit attached to Robinson's arrest warrant.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Over and over, the road climbed and descended.
—Karen Palmer
september 19, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
There was a brief period, before the revolution descended into Robespierre’s Reign of Terror, in which such a new world seemed possible.
—Paul Kingsnorth, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for descend
Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
The figure entered the school grounds through a tunnel under Campus Drive, checking his cellphone before descending underground, according to a probable cause affidavit attached to Robinson's arrest warrant.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Over and over, the road climbed and descended.
—Karen Palmer
september 19, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
There was a brief period, before the revolution descended into Robespierre’s Reign of Terror, in which such a new world seemed possible.
—Paul Kingsnorth, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for descend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descend
Verb
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Short sellers look to benefit from a company's falling share price by borrowing its stock to sell on the open market, then later buying it back at a lower price.—
,
CNBC,
22 Sep. 2025
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One tree fell and a branch cut through their roof, stopping just above their bed.—
Jackie Charniga,
USA Today,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Also on display was a 1774 letter from King George III to Prime Minister Lord North, acknowledging the escalating rebellion in the American colonies and referencing the Boston Tea Party as a pivotal moment in deteriorating relations.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry
Shane Croucher
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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In the weeks after the phone call, the relationship between the two countries deteriorated.—
Thomas Wright,
The Atlantic,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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These fascinating GECs – all rocky cylinders plunging as deep as 164 m (538 ft) and stretching up to 30 m (98 ft) in width – have steep walls lined with layers of permafrost.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 Sep. 2025
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What To Know Saturday's earthquakes struck the region that is part of the South Sandwich Trench, an active subduction zone where the South American Plate converges with the small South Sandwich Plate, causing one plate to plunge beneath the other.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After having dismounted, the person crossed the street and moved into a wooded area.—
Rebecca Shabad,
NBC news,
12 Sep. 2025
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This enables wide distribution across the front lines, especially in areas where soldiers are primarily dismounted.—
Vikram Mittal,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Along the way, bitcoin has broken out from five prior downward-sloping ranges similar to this one—a positive technical sign.—
Frank Cappelleri,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
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But as front-end rates start to decline, the Treasury yield curve should become positively sloped, which means that longer-term rates should offer more attractive yields than shorter-term rates.—
Chris Gunster,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Earlier reports dating back to 2021 show that crumbling structures resulted in multiple instances of animals being found with debris like concrete in their stomachs.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
21 Sep. 2025
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The twin bases of the American experiment in political pluralism—the fable about the United States as a land of immigrants and the reality of unchallenged global primacy—are simultaneously crumbling.—
Pankaj Mishra,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Getty Images That upward trajectory stands in contrast to the United States, where life expectancy virtually flatlined during the 2010s and even dipped slightly on occasions during the 2010s—a trend blamed in large part on a surge in deaths from overdoses from the synthetic opioid fentanyl.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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Paulino and McLaughlin-Levrone both dipped under the previous championship record to lead the greatest 400-meter dash final in history.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Some who had already boarded planes disembarked for fear they might not be allowed to re-enter.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
21 Sep. 2025
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Upon disembarking from the Marine One helicopter, the first lady was spotted wearing a dark gray two-piece set, featuring a long-sleeve top and a knee-length pencil skirt.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Descend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descend. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
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