1
as in fell
to lead or extend downward
the pathway descends to the river bank
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deteriorated
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 plunged
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
as in dismounted
to come down from something (as a vehicle)
the driver descended from the truck's cab, dreading to see what he had hit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of descended
As an unseasonable heatwave descended last week, auto mechanic Gustavo Gonzalez, 44, sat on a couch at his lot beneath an oak tree.
—
Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
After hosting a huge comeback concert in Seoul, BTS descended on New York City for a Spotify showcase followed by performances at the Guggenheim for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 25 Mar. 2026
Spring break at Daytona Beach has once again descended into lawlessness.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
One chapter of Miami Hurricanes football came to an end on Monday as more than 100 NFL personnel members from all 32 teams descended upon UM’s campus to see 16 former Canes take part in the team’s Pro Day in what could also be seen as their final workout on the field that raised them.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026
At ten-thirty on the morning of Wednesday, December 3, Border Patrol agents descended on the parking lot of my local Lowe’s.
—Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
During Operation Midway Blitz, Border Patrol agents repeatedly descended on a staging lot for ride-share drivers just outside the airport, arresting dozens of people throughout the fall.
—Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Storms descended on the states during a bout of unusually hot temps that could linger into early next week, NWS meteorologists said on social media.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 22 Mar. 2026
Last summer, as thousands of Border Patrol agents descended on Los Angeles, McGraw was there with a camera crew to the surprise of those who knew him mostly for his daytime-TV therapeutic segments.
—Uwa Ede-Osifo, Dallas Morning News, 21 Mar. 2026
Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
After hosting a huge comeback concert in Seoul, BTS descended on New York City for a Spotify showcase followed by performances at the Guggenheim for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 25 Mar. 2026
Spring break at Daytona Beach has once again descended into lawlessness.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
One chapter of Miami Hurricanes football came to an end on Monday as more than 100 NFL personnel members from all 32 teams descended upon UM’s campus to see 16 former Canes take part in the team’s Pro Day in what could also be seen as their final workout on the field that raised them.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026
At ten-thirty on the morning of Wednesday, December 3, Border Patrol agents descended on the parking lot of my local Lowe’s.
—Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
During Operation Midway Blitz, Border Patrol agents repeatedly descended on a staging lot for ride-share drivers just outside the airport, arresting dozens of people throughout the fall.
—Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Storms descended on the states during a bout of unusually hot temps that could linger into early next week, NWS meteorologists said on social media.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 22 Mar. 2026
Last summer, as thousands of Border Patrol agents descended on Los Angeles, McGraw was there with a camera crew to the surprise of those who knew him mostly for his daytime-TV therapeutic segments.
—Uwa Ede-Osifo, Dallas Morning News, 21 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descended
Verb
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With a hollow interior trunk, Stumpy was among 158 trees felled in 2024 as part of a project aimed at shoring up a sea wall near the National Mall.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
25 Mar. 2026
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And to be sure, there were winds and rain strong enough to fell several trees, flood a few roads, and knock out power in some Maryland and Virginia suburbs.—
Scott Simon,
NPR,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Conspicuous cracks had developed along the building’s outside walls as exterior stucco deteriorated.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Market deterioration Markets have deteriorated over the past few days.—
Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The price of crude plunged by more than ten per cent.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Export revenues plunged by about 30% that month compared with a year earlier.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
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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This enables wide distribution across the front lines, especially in areas where soldiers are primarily dismounted.—
Vikram Mittal,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This story is told by an unnamed narrator, an irreligious woman who has joined the nuns as a lay resident after her faith in environmental advocacy crumbled.—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
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Dozens of cars have been trapped in a parking garage since the concrete crumbled on Monday afternoon.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Prices have dipped, inventory has grown, snowpack is at a record low, and economic concerns persist.—
Sara B. Hansen,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
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Before the Iran conflict erupted in late February, the euro zone's inflation rate had dipped below the central bank's 2% target.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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The Trojans, in good spirits after Meade’s pep talk, disembarked and filed into the 24-year-old stadium tucked neatly between Memorial Gymnasium and FirstBank Stadium on the western edge of Vanderbilt’s urban campus.—
Mitch Light,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For Lamar, who now has a tattoo on his chest to honor his younger son, the loss also worsened his struggle with addiction.—
Currie Engel,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
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The rapid loss of snow is also affecting the Colorado River, another major water source for Southern California, which has shrunk over the last quarter-century during a megadrought worsened by rising temperatures.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Descended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descended. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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