1
as in to fall
to lead or extend downward
the pathway descends to the river bank
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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
There’s also a giant mind flayer monster that descends upon the stage and looms over the audience.
—
Jordan Moreau, Variety, 2 June 2025
With Old Hollywood roots, Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland frequented the islands for winter escapes, while A-listers such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Selena Gomez have descended on North Bay Village.
—Emma Kershaw, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
Temperatures were expected to cool off by a handful of degrees on Saturday before descending in all spots to 15-20 degrees cooler than Friday’s anticipated highs.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 31 May 2025
The intense setup here is fairly straightforward as these types of sci-fi mystery shows go, with Buenos Aires residents going about their evenings when a sudden nightmarish snowfall descends over the metropolis, killing millions indiscriminately.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for descend
Jordan Moreau, Variety, 2 June 2025
With Old Hollywood roots, Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland frequented the islands for winter escapes, while A-listers such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Selena Gomez have descended on North Bay Village.
—Emma Kershaw, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
Temperatures were expected to cool off by a handful of degrees on Saturday before descending in all spots to 15-20 degrees cooler than Friday’s anticipated highs.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 31 May 2025
The intense setup here is fairly straightforward as these types of sci-fi mystery shows go, with Buenos Aires residents going about their evenings when a sudden nightmarish snowfall descends over the metropolis, killing millions indiscriminately.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for descend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descend
Verb
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Crucially, the flagship brand Moncler saw sales rise only 2% and its crucial Europe, Middle East, and Africa region fell by 1%.—
Ganesh Rao,
CNBC,
3 June 2025
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In May 2022 — three years ago — Caltrans estimated that the project would cost $433 million, meaning that in addition to falling behind schedule, the cost has gone up by about $96 million in that time.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2025
Verb
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But the age and condition of the fleet could deteriorate further, even with an infusion of cash to buy new equipment, because the wait times are so long.—
Alene Tchekmedyian,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2025
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Fiscal Policy Without exception, the fiscal position of large countries, including the United States, as measured by government debt relative to GDP, deteriorated due to the impact of spending during the pandemic.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
Verb
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Any amount of sustained rain, much less a hurricane in what’s expected to be a busy season, can plunge the nation into more distress.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2025
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Even as her job at The Dial plunged her deeper into the heart of Transcendentalism, Fuller began to separate herself from the movement.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
Verb
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One protester, who climbed up and sat on the neck of the bull, was told to dismount by a New York City police officer.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
22 Apr. 2025
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Fixed an issue where Yasuke could block with his teppo after being dismounted instead of his melee weapon.—
Oliver Brandt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Lake Norman State Park offers a long, gently sloping swim beach, lots of shade, picnic areas, hiking trails and even mountain biking routes.—
Shane Connuck,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2025
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The tranquil spaces blend streamlined, minimalist interiors with Korean architectural features like gently sloping tiled roofs, and antique paintings and furniture span the Joseon Dynasty era (14th–20th centuries).—
Leslie Patrick,
AFAR Media,
15 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The strikes overwhelmed air defense systems, and the city was rife with fires burning, buildings crumbling, and other debris from the attacks.—
Christopher Tremoglie,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
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The myth that Medicaid is for 'someone else' is crumbling fast.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Thus, for the second game in a row, the Red Sox were forced to dip into their bullpen almost immediately; before Thursday’s off-day, Lucas Giolito had lasted just 1.2 innings at Fenway.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
7 June 2025
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Both are delicious and perfectly tailored for cooking or mixing with some balsamic to dip some bread.—
Will Porter,
Architectural Digest,
6 June 2025
Verb
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The images of Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron disembarking in Vietnam trigger a lot of comment.—
Danielle Wallace,
FOXNews.com,
26 May 2025
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In the sequel, the ark is now on dry land and the stowaway rats, Vini and Tito alongside female rat Nina, visit the other animals who have disembarked.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Descend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descend. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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