as in bowing
bending downward or forward
with descending heads the mourners made their way to the burial site
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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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
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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
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Recent Examples of descending
Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
Freight rate collapse continues All the carriers’ operational shifts come as freight rates keep descending.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 29 Sep. 2025
While the enemies and level design, as well as the progression of the descending route is a clear inversion and iteration of the original, the second half of the game feels downright experimental.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
On September 25, Red Bull uploaded a clip to Instagram of Bargiel descending the peak on his skis.
—Outside, 26 Sep. 2025
In Will There Ever Be Another You, the main character struggles with an illness similar to long COVID, descending into a state of debility and psychosis as readers experience the chaos of her unraveling life.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 26 Sep. 2025
After finishing a game, Peyton had a routine of discreetly entering a side door into the eatery and descending into the basement wine cellar via a private elevator.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 25 Sep. 2025
No, that’s not a colony of beautiful space aliens from Planet Claire descending upon the nearest amphitheater to entertain us.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Far from descending into deepening partisan divisions, Taiwan may be moving toward a new political equilibrium.
—Philip H. Gordon, Foreign Affairs, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
This week saw Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos descending on the Eternal City to announce the streaming giant’s plans to help revive a storied cinema, as well as a host of international TV executives mooting the possibility of an upturn that could pull the global drama biz out of its recent doldrums.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
Freight rate collapse continues All the carriers’ operational shifts come as freight rates keep descending.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 29 Sep. 2025
While the enemies and level design, as well as the progression of the descending route is a clear inversion and iteration of the original, the second half of the game feels downright experimental.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
On September 25, Red Bull uploaded a clip to Instagram of Bargiel descending the peak on his skis.
—Outside, 26 Sep. 2025
In Will There Ever Be Another You, the main character struggles with an illness similar to long COVID, descending into a state of debility and psychosis as readers experience the chaos of her unraveling life.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 26 Sep. 2025
After finishing a game, Peyton had a routine of discreetly entering a side door into the eatery and descending into the basement wine cellar via a private elevator.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 25 Sep. 2025
No, that’s not a colony of beautiful space aliens from Planet Claire descending upon the nearest amphitheater to entertain us.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Far from descending into deepening partisan divisions, Taiwan may be moving toward a new political equilibrium.
—Philip H. Gordon, Foreign Affairs, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descending
Verb
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The hope for gold-producing nations like Ghana is to responsibly leverage this bountiful natural resource without falling prey to environmental degradation and civil strife.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
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Volatility returns to markets Wall Street’s fear gauge, the VIX, jumped 31% on Friday — its biggest one-day gain since April — before falling 12% on Monday.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Afghanistan Analysts Network, also reported others were leaving amid plummeting salaries and deteriorating conditions.—
NPR,
NPR,
14 Oct. 2025
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Travelers in the region are advised to remain alert for rapidly changing conditions, as the combination of snow and high winds can produce sudden reductions in visibility and rapidly deteriorating roadways.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The model wore a pink look featuring a belted, silky one-piece with short shorts and plunging neckline.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
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Models walking his sultry runway seduced the audience in beautiful suiting, a dress with a plunging neckline that mirrored an equally high slit.—
Fiona Sinclair Scott,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The new cleat should be particularly appealing to racers – who need to snap back in as quickly as possible after dismounting – and to riders who are intimidated by the learning curve involved in using clipless pedals for the first time.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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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
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Three-Bedroom With Landscaped Yard This three-bedroom, one-bathroom house on a sloping lot in North Berkeley was walkable to many amenities and the church, and had been upgraded throughout.—
Mark Kreidler,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
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However, beginning in mid-2023, when PSX finally stopped moving lower and began to rally, those same averages flipped from sloping down to sloping up.—
Frank Cappelleri,
CNBC,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Bringing the battle home for players to storm brownstones in Brooklyn Heights or desperately traverse a crumbling Manhattan Bridge is effectively scary — for most people.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
9 Oct. 2025
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The show, held in a crumbling 19th-century villa on the outskirts of the city, was inspired by planetary alignment, archaeological ruins and global unity, says Schnaider, 34.—
Alexa Brazilian,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The medical digital platform saw shares tumbling nearly 5% after JPMorgan downgraded the stock to underweight from neutral.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
10 Oct. 2025
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But without more research and education, the danger of tumbling back in remains.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Descending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descending. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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