as in bowing
bending downward or forward
with descending heads the mourners made their way to the burial site
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in falling
to lead or extend downward
the pathway descends to the river bank
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deteriorating
to become worse or of less value
the order of the classroom descended into chaos when the teacher left the room
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in plunging
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in dismounting
to come down from something (as a vehicle)
the driver descended from the truck's cab, dreading to see what he had hit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of descending
Holden Seidlitz, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
New Atlas, 28 Mar. 2026
Her photo of the results, showing multiple blue spots descending the stairs, was shown in court.
—Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
McDonald and Loggins hadn’t seen each other in quite some time before descending upon Puth’s studio.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
After the alarm sounded, the pilots stopped descending and leveled off until they were passed the helicopter and could land safely.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
One clip captured the aircraft descending rapidly just seconds after liftoff before hitting the ground.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026
Lunar Gateway was designed to serve as both a research platform and a transfer station that astronauts would use to board the moon landers before descending to the lunar surface.
—Reuters, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
Long-range models show a front descending into northern Florida over the weekend, causing rain chances to rise in South Florida starting Saturday night.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
The department is sharing clips of recent incidents stemming from spring break chaos, earning hundreds of thousands of views as officials throughout the Sunshine State grapple with another year of college students descending on their city’s beaches.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Then, the repetitive descending melody is interrupted and restarts; in this musical rupture the trance is broken.
—Holden Seidlitz, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
With the main entrance positioned above the building, visitors access the wellness center via a descending staircase and a gently curving ramp.
—New Atlas, 28 Mar. 2026
Her photo of the results, showing multiple blue spots descending the stairs, was shown in court.
—Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
McDonald and Loggins hadn’t seen each other in quite some time before descending upon Puth’s studio.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
After the alarm sounded, the pilots stopped descending and leveled off until they were passed the helicopter and could land safely.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
One clip captured the aircraft descending rapidly just seconds after liftoff before hitting the ground.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026
Lunar Gateway was designed to serve as both a research platform and a transfer station that astronauts would use to board the moon landers before descending to the lunar surface.
—Reuters, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
Long-range models show a front descending into northern Florida over the weekend, causing rain chances to rise in South Florida starting Saturday night.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
The department is sharing clips of recent incidents stemming from spring break chaos, earning hundreds of thousands of views as officials throughout the Sunshine State grapple with another year of college students descending on their city’s beaches.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descending
Verb
-
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
All of this comes at a time when the market has greater appetite for larger scale deals, despite Lauder’s falling stock price.—
Kathryn Hopkins,
Footwear News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
First, can spores and nutrients in a solid form be mixed in a workable concrete without deteriorating it?—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The alert, issued Monday morning, warns residents in Sunriver, Camp Sherman, Sisters and La Pine to prepare for dangerous travel and rapidly deteriorating conditions once the heavy snow strikes.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The peace talks -- which Iranian officials denied -- sent the price of oil plunging on Monday on hopes that negotiations could reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end a weeks-long global energy shock.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, oil prices are plunging.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The popular halftime performer known as Red Panda finished her signature seven-minute set, looked up at a crowd of fans chanting her name and flashed a smile before dismounting.—
Alanis Thames,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The woman told investigators Herzing had made similar threats in July, which resulted in the victim suffering minor scrapes after dismounting at a stoplight.—
Lauren Breunig,
Twin Cities,
2 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
James O’Donoghue, a planetary scientist with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, likened our planet’s tilting phenomenon to a nodding head.—
Aylin Woodward,
WSJ,
21 Dec. 2021
Verb
-
Besides the value of its open spaces and sloping landscapes amid the city center, Bayfront Park is a sign of faith that if the city is willing to invest $30 million downtown, its citizens will be encouraged to build, shop and live there.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The South by Southwest Music Festival, by comparison, is sloping downward.—
Thor Christensen,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The crumbling industrial scenery by Riccardo Hernández is visually stunning and versatile, and it’s gorgeously illuminated by lighting designer Robert Wierzel.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Surrounded by vicious and violent hitmen that have been pressed into service as childcare, Juan Pablo must reckon with his father's crumbling power and find his own way in the world after his death.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The conflict has sent oil prices surging and stocks tumbling on inflation and economic growth fears.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The token has been volatile since the conflict in Iran began in late February, at one point jumping to a high of nearly $76,000 before tumbling once more as tensions in the region escalated.—
Emily Nicolle,
Fortune,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Descending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descending. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
