as in to assault
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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Early on, federal agents guarding the building deployed tear gas and shot pepper balls in clashes with protesters and arrested some of them, including some charged with felonies on suspicion of assaulting or blocking officers.—
Nicquel Terry Ellis,
CNN Money,
2 Nov. 2025 -
At one point, the seventh-grader was assaulted, leaving bruises.—
Mikelle Street,
Them.,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Vinicius Jr also thrived in the Italian’s counter-attacking tactical setup, which was designed at least in part to suit his pace and direct running, and delivered the club’s two most recent Champions League trophies in 2022 and 2024.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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The only thing that carries any water is making up something to attack Gretchen.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Their efforts have included agents rappelling from Black Hawk helicopters to raid an apartment building in the middle of the night and masked agents chasing people in the heart of Chicago's Mexican community.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
27 Oct. 2025
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Thieves raided the Apollo Gallery on the Louvre’s upper floor last weekend, which houses the French Crown Jewels.—
Billy Stockwell,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Stines, 44, was allegedly caught on security video storming into Mullins’ chambers before shooting him in an alleged courthouse ambush that rattled the Appalachian community.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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Both personalities were on full display on Tuesday, when the B’s stormed back from 2-0 deficit with five unanswered goals to beat the New York Islanders, 5-2, at the Garden.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Women’s CrossCity Sneaker While famous for its athleisure apparel, Lululemon has quietly expanded into the realm of sneakers—and this lightweight pair strikes the perfect balance of stylish and comfortable for long days of sightseeing.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Oct. 2025
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The mob of rioters grew more hostile and violent, advancing toward agents and began throwing rocks and other objects at agents, including one that struck Chief Greg Bovino in the head.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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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 4 Nov. 2025.
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