as in to attack
to take sudden, violent action against
the shock troops descended on the village without warning
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descend (on or upon)
Verb
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When Sibomana-Rodriguez was 6 years old and living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he, his cousin and his brother were attacked by a swarm of chimpanzees.—
Daniel S. Levine,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026 -
Be sure that the rear lure always has a hook, as the bass typically key in on the ‘straggler’ when attacking a ball of bait.—
Derek Horner,
Outdoor Life,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In one case about a week ago, a Hollywood Hills resident suffered minor injuries when she was assaulted by burglars after the intruders were discovered in the home.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
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In the course of the narrative, as John is embraced by friends and assaulted by strangers, Jones’s storytelling veers between breakthroughs and setbacks with a rhythm so mechanical as to verge on metronomic.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The company had its offices raided and several bank accounts frozen, according to Malaysian business publication The Edge.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
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Separately, police in Moscow raided the offices of the prominent independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, whose chief editor Dmitry Muratov was a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2021.—
Dasha Litvinova,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Certainly, classmates know the perpetrators, as do some parents who have stormed at least one school board session seeking answers.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
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An invading army of tens of thousands of soldiers led by Lucius Cornelius Sulla, an influential commander and later dictator of Rome, stormed the town’s walls with slings and catapults.—
Taylor Mitchell Brown,
Scientific American,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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With officers trailing behind, the suspect sped through a red light, nearly striking cross traffic at an intersection.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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This two-piece strikes the right balance between casual and stylish.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Descend (on or upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descend%20%28on%20or%20upon%29. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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