descend

verb

di-ˈsend How to pronounce descend (audio)
Definition of descendnext
1
as in to fall
to lead or extend downward the pathway descends to the river bank

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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

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 descend On a balmy June evening, a crowd of vampire obsessives descended upon the Upper West Side’s Beacon Theatre in a sea of black and red. — Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026 Within minutes of arriving at the location where Musallet was killed, Israeli settlers descended on the area. — Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 11 July 2026 Guests descending into the speakeasy can look through the modern staircase to see the original structure preserved beneath it, offering a glimpse into the older bones of the building. — Jill Robbins, Southern Living, 11 July 2026 This is high season, when snowbirds descend, and marquee events like the Delray Beach Open in February and the sprawling Delray Affair art festival in April, bring an extra buzz to downtown—along with higher prices and fuller hotels. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for descend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descend
  1. fall
  2. deteriorate
  3. plunge
  4. dismount
  5. slope
  6. crumble
  7. dip
  8. disembark
Verb
  • Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 16 July 2026
  • Micron Technology sank 8%, Intel lost more than 4%, while Lam Research and Advanced Micro Devices each fell about 3%.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 16 July 2026
Definition of fall
Verb
  • Zelenskyy said their relationship had deteriorated so badly that the two could no longer work together, but provided little additional explanation for removing Fedorov.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026
  • In the ensuing decades after District 33 absorbed McAuley, the McAuley building deteriorated, with no significant maintenance done to it and no use other than for records and equipment storage.
    — Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026
Definition of deteriorate
Verb
  • Atlantia was the controlling shareholder in motorway operator Autostrade per l’Italia at the time of the disaster which killed 43 ​people when their vehicles plunged from the flyover.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
  • The satellites would only survive about 20 minutes before ultimately plunging to their fiery doom reentering Earth’s atmosphere.
    — Lee Billings & Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 16 July 2026
Definition of plunge
Verb
  • Their father dismounted, went down on foot, climbed the fence his son had crawled under.
    — Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
  • Suffering from a broken rib and sinus infection, Remco Evenepoel hands his bidon to a child on the roadside and dismounts his bike.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of dismount
Verb
  • The device lacked its battery, turning it from an electronic measure of distance and slope into a set of binoculars.
    — Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • Beyond the road lie much smaller buildings organized in neat rows made up of a jumble of hard angles—porch steps, open windows, sloping roofs—that seem to spring spontaneously from the ground.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
Definition of slope
Verb
  • Inspired by the bright, herb-forward flavors of traditional Middle Eastern tabbouleh, this hearty variation replaces bulgur with fluffy couscous and adds roasted eggplant and crumbled feta for extra substance and depth.
    — Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 21 July 2026
  • Tribal leaders warn that unstable oversight and crumbling facilities endanger Native students’ futures.
    — Savannah Peters, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of crumble
Verb
  • The novel plot is intricately structured and gratifying while the animation — which dips into various styles including impressionism — invites you into an awe-inspiring alternative world.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 July 2026
  • Public problems and progress SpaceX shares have dipped below their $135 IPO price for the first time, wiping out more than $1 trillion from the value of Elon Musk's group.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 16 July 2026
Definition of dip
Verb
  • The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act includes a number of safety requirements for ships embarking or disembarking in the United States, ranging from evidence preservation training to video surveillance.
    — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 15 July 2026
  • Their charter plane had two different mechanical issues, forcing the Red Sox to disembark and stay in Chicago following their 2-1 win over the White Sox on Thursday night and leaving them on the plane for several hours early Friday afternoon.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 July 2026
Definition of disembark

Phrases Containing descend

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descants
descend
descendant
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Cite this Entry

“Descend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descend. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of descend for Spanish Speakers

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