1
as in to fall
to lead or extend downward
the pathway descends to the river bank
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of descend
Her photo of the results, showing multiple blue spots descending the stairs, was shown in court.
—
Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
As stars from around the world descended into the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, the iHeartRadio Music Awards set the stage for breakthrough newcomers, legendary performers, and standout fashion moments.
—Essence, 27 Mar. 2026
My confidence was further bolstered when Zenker informed me about Beau Miles, an adventure filmmaker known for documenting his self-experiments, who, back in 2020, when an entirely different disaster descended upon us, ate only beans for 40 days (191 cans to be exact)—and lived to tell the tale.
—Ayana Underwood, Outside, 27 Mar. 2026
McDonald and Loggins hadn’t seen each other in quite some time before descending upon Puth’s studio.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for descend
Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
As stars from around the world descended into the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, the iHeartRadio Music Awards set the stage for breakthrough newcomers, legendary performers, and standout fashion moments.
—Essence, 27 Mar. 2026
My confidence was further bolstered when Zenker informed me about Beau Miles, an adventure filmmaker known for documenting his self-experiments, who, back in 2020, when an entirely different disaster descended upon us, ate only beans for 40 days (191 cans to be exact)—and lived to tell the tale.
—Ayana Underwood, Outside, 27 Mar. 2026
McDonald and Loggins hadn’t seen each other in quite some time before descending upon Puth’s studio.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for descend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descend
Verb
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Night fell, and Martha came to a small black lake.—
Cassandra Neyenesch,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Photos shared on social media shows the massive slabs of rock fell just past a blind curve and the SUV sustained major front-end damage.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For years, lawyers have alleged that inmates receive expired, undercooked or contaminated food, including spoiled meat and deteriorated dairy products.—
Michael Rios,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
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Now the war has turned into a race to stabilize the rapidly deteriorating global economic order, central to which is reopening the Strait of Hormuz.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
More light rain is expected during the afternoon as temperatures plunge.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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As the fight continued on, the victim grabbed the knife from the mugger and plunged it into him five times, cops said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Stopping, the man dismounted and shot that big bear square in the chest.—
Scott Haugen,
Outdoor Life,
4 Feb. 2026
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The popular halftime performer known as Red Panda finished her signature seven-minute set, looked up at a crowd of fans chanting her name and flashed a smile before dismounting.—
Alanis Thames,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Besides the value of its open spaces and sloping landscapes amid the city center, Bayfront Park is a sign of faith that if the city is willing to invest $30 million downtown, its citizens will be encouraged to build, shop and live there.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
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The South by Southwest Music Festival, by comparison, is sloping downward.—
Thor Christensen,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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From government to education to the workplace, DEI is crumbling.—
Greg Cote
Updated March 30,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
-
After crumbling due to the pressure at the Olympics, Malinin soared at the Figure Skating World Championships, putting on a strong short program before a clean free skate to give him his third-straight men's world title.—
Tyler Erzberger,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Though some celebs have taken the silent route, there are also plenty of A-listers who have no problem dipping their toes in the political pool and the potential criticism that might follow, such as Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish, who slammed ICE at the 2026 Grammys.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
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This month, water temps were in the mid-to-upper 60s, at a time when the thermometer typically dips to the 50s.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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From there, transfer to Metromover’s Inner Loop (free) and disembark at the College/Bayside, First Street or Bayfront Park Metromover station.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
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The astronauts flew themselves from Houston, which houses NASA’s Johnson Space Center, in two T-38 training jets and then disembarked to speak with reporters.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Descend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descend. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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