1
as in fell
to lead or extend downward
the pathway descends to the river bank
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 disembarked
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
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 descended
In the span of just two weeks, an extraordinary parade of top US officials has descended on Israel in a diplomatic blitz.
—
Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
The two suspects descended the ladder and all four escaped on two motorbikes, according to officials.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
Less than 24 hours after federal officials descended on Canal Street in New York City’s Chinatown district, the scene there appeared to be relatively subdued Wednesday afternoon.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025
Thousands of racing fans – and almost as many cowboy hats — descended upon Austin, Texas, this weekend for the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix hosted by Circuit of the Americas, which featured high-energy performances from Kygo, Garth Brooks and more big-name artists.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 20 Oct. 2025
For the full-scale trial, the Spider descended and held its position just above the ocean floor.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025
With sunflower sea stars suddenly all but gone from their home range, sea urchin numbers exploded, and the hungry urchin hordes descended upon kelp forests.
—JSTOR Daily, 17 Oct. 2025
The Babycatcher descended the tree, waved the couple down the trunk after him.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
The event, which included upwards of 200 to 300 protesters, quickly descended into violence, with participants assaulting police, and sending four officers to the hospital.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 15 Oct. 2025
Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
The two suspects descended the ladder and all four escaped on two motorbikes, according to officials.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
Less than 24 hours after federal officials descended on Canal Street in New York City’s Chinatown district, the scene there appeared to be relatively subdued Wednesday afternoon.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025
Thousands of racing fans – and almost as many cowboy hats — descended upon Austin, Texas, this weekend for the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix hosted by Circuit of the Americas, which featured high-energy performances from Kygo, Garth Brooks and more big-name artists.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 20 Oct. 2025
For the full-scale trial, the Spider descended and held its position just above the ocean floor.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025
With sunflower sea stars suddenly all but gone from their home range, sea urchin numbers exploded, and the hungry urchin hordes descended upon kelp forests.
—JSTOR Daily, 17 Oct. 2025
The Babycatcher descended the tree, waved the couple down the trunk after him.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
The event, which included upwards of 200 to 300 protesters, quickly descended into violence, with participants assaulting police, and sending four officers to the hospital.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 15 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descended
Verb
-
The at-bats were brief and uneventful, the opposite of the approach that carried Toronto to this stage and felled Snell in Game 1.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
-
That says a lot about the 2025 Red Sox, who were a top offensive team in many metrics, but were also felled by their bats in crucial spots throughout the year and postseason.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Plus, the company outlook index deteriorated sharply, indicating an increasingly negative sentiment about future conditions.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
22 Oct. 2025
-
In the years before her death, Warren’s relationship with his mother had deteriorated.—
Alexandra Schonfeld,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
What began as a mother’s attempt to capture a picture-perfect vacation moment aboard Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Dream ended in tragedy, as police say a 5-year-old girl plunged from a deck after being encouraged to climb into an open porthole.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Adriana James-Rodil,
FOXNews.com,
21 Oct. 2025
-
As the war in Gaza dragged on, and Israel plunged deeper into the Palestinian territory, the settler right appeared poised to obtain its prize.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Franklin disembarked to the news that shots had been fired at Lexington and Concord.—
Stacy Schiff,
The Atlantic,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Moments later, the couple disembarked from the chopper, walking hand-in-hand across the South Lawn.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Passersby stared as billows of smoke rose into the air above the White House as part of the home shared by the United States president and his family crumbled to the ground.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
-
The brittle cornerstone of a decades-old player-development system suddenly crumbled, bringing the rest of the city game down with it.—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Most recently, Alverson has also dipped his toe into advising sorority hopefuls as a rush coach — part of an emerging market for girls looking to polish up their image before heading off to college.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
-
At the height of the vigils, there were 300 people, according to organizers, but attendance dipped after the center was ordered by a federal judge to slowly empty the facility in August.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This enables wide distribution across the front lines, especially in areas where soldiers are primarily dismounted.—
Vikram Mittal,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As the lamprey crisis worsened, various chemical companies sent compounds to the lab, which was searching for a panacea.—
Katie Thornton,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
-
RadarOnline also reported recently that the King’s health has worsened in the last few days, which tracks with this new report about how much of a toll the Prince Andrew scandal is taking on him.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Descended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descended. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share