variants
also ascendency
as in dominance
controlling power or influence over others
a book chronicling the ascendancy of fascism in Europe after World War I
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 ascendancy
Her ascendancy in the art world had been swift.
—
The Editors, Curbed, 15 Dec. 2025
Her ascendancy in the art world had been swift.
—Adam Moss, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
As the current Premier League table indicates, Arsenal are in the ascendancy out of the two clubs.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
South Korea’s remarkable cultural ascendancy has been propelled as much by Korean barbecue and kimchi as by K-pop and K-dramas.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ascendancy
The Editors, Curbed, 15 Dec. 2025
Her ascendancy in the art world had been swift.
—Adam Moss, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
As the current Premier League table indicates, Arsenal are in the ascendancy out of the two clubs.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
South Korea’s remarkable cultural ascendancy has been propelled as much by Korean barbecue and kimchi as by K-pop and K-dramas.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ascendancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ascendancy
Noun
-
On others, the BBC remains comfortably ahead of YouTube, but for the broadcaster to be supplanted on even a single metric is notable, given its decades-long dominance in Britain.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Behavioral psychology calls this coercive control, maintaining dominance through unpredictability, dependency, and psychological pressure rather than overt force.—
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
After Doncic’s third-quarter domination, James tagged in and scored five consecutive points to end the quarter.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Man United have plenty history worth telling from down the years, from the 1958 Munich air disaster, to the 1968 European Cup-winning team under Matt Busby, to Alex Ferguson’s domination of the Premier League era.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
During the Cold War, Radio Free Europe broadcast news to parts of Eastern Europe that were under Communist dominion.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
-
His strong-arming of universities, law firms, and media companies is a response to real problems, but his actions seem aimed more at harming those entities—and expanding his dominion over them—than at crafting enduring fixes.—
Stephen Kotkin,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The race for artificial intelligence supremacy has pitted Silicon Valley bigwigs against Washington policymakers and Chinese competitors.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Largely fueled by another exceptional showing in net from Duxbury native Ainsley Tuffy (46 saves), Harvard returned to Women’s Beanpot supremacy by beating Boston University in overtime, 2-1, in the tournament final.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The new agreement says that Ukraine’s sovereignty and its ability to defend itself are non-negotiable elements of any peace deal and warned that its self-defense is essential to its own security and wider Euro-Atlantic stability.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Fundamentally, sending in our own military to make the arrest on foreign soil without the consent of the other country would still violate international law and the sovereignty of Venezuela.—
Elie Mystal,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
After her historic 70-year reign came to an end in 2022, Queen Elizabeth's son was crowned king.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Browns are Back Gray’s long reign has officially come to an end.—
Sophie Aliece Hollis,
Martha Stewart,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ascendancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ascendancy. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
