as in rises
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 ascends
Like his father, Khamenei ascends to the office without the necessary religious credentials to do so.
—
Ramin Mostaghim, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Jon ascends to the status of Lord Commander, uniting disparate forces against the White Walkers, while Sansa fights tooth and nail to become the tough Queen in the North.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Feb. 2026
According to the sources, the amount of cartel wealth controlled by the siblings outside Venezuela ascends to several billion dollars.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
Contractors plan to preserve a winding marble staircase that ascends to the building’s rooftop, and maintain the historic facade.
—Sacbee.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Alec ascends and evolves through the greatest love of all, which is found within himself.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
Tate McRae’s So Close To What rises 8-5 (40,000), SZA’s SOS steps 7-6 (40,000), Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend falls 5-7 (38,000), and Wallen’s One Thing at a Time ascends 9-8 (36,000).
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 11 Jan. 2026
Whatever happens, for now, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle still retain their titles and likely would at least until Prince William ascends to the throne.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 1 Jan. 2026
The action is set mainly in 2008, when Ella (played by Emma Mackey), a thirty-four-year-old policy wonk who is her unnamed state’s lieutenant governor, ascends to the governorship.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025
Ramin Mostaghim, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Jon ascends to the status of Lord Commander, uniting disparate forces against the White Walkers, while Sansa fights tooth and nail to become the tough Queen in the North.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Feb. 2026
According to the sources, the amount of cartel wealth controlled by the siblings outside Venezuela ascends to several billion dollars.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
Contractors plan to preserve a winding marble staircase that ascends to the building’s rooftop, and maintain the historic facade.
—Sacbee.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Alec ascends and evolves through the greatest love of all, which is found within himself.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
Tate McRae’s So Close To What rises 8-5 (40,000), SZA’s SOS steps 7-6 (40,000), Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend falls 5-7 (38,000), and Wallen’s One Thing at a Time ascends 9-8 (36,000).
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 11 Jan. 2026
Whatever happens, for now, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle still retain their titles and likely would at least until Prince William ascends to the throne.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 1 Jan. 2026
The action is set mainly in 2008, when Ella (played by Emma Mackey), a thirty-four-year-old policy wonk who is her unnamed state’s lieutenant governor, ascends to the governorship.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ascends
Verb
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The probability of lightning strikes rises as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is directly above.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Ghana’s gold regulators introduced a new sliding‑scale royalty rate that rises in line with bullion prices, despite opposition from China, the US, and mining executives.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Needs some fresh air and so leaves his flat and climbs the staircase to the top of the building.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 2026
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Arching canes feature showy pink blooms in the spring through fall with quite the display–the vine climbs up to 15 feet tall and 6 feet wide.—
Zoe Gowen,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As a laundromat owner who needs to save the multiverse, Yeoh breaks out all her moves, of both the emotional and action-flick varieties, and soars to make this wild tale way more personal than apocalyptic.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
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Souza, a Grammy Award-winner with 15 solo albums to her credit, soars with equal ease whether singing heartfelt lyrics or wordless melodies.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ascends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ascends. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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