as in bowing
bending downward or forward
with descending heads the mourners made their way to the burial site
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in falling
to lead or extend downward
the pathway descends to the river bank
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deteriorating
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 plunging
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in dismounting
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 descending
Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026
On Wednesday, astronomer and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell reported that a large collection of Starlink satellites has been descending, cutting the distance for the satellite beams to reach Earth.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 12 Mar. 2026
The Minnesota girls state basketball tournament has arrived, with 32 of the state’s top teams descending on the Twin Cities to battle it out for state supremacy.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 11 Mar. 2026
Spender said models show a high-pressure ridge descending over the West in the coming days, bringing high heat and low precipitation across the region.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Logan told Outside that the River Trail closure could put hikers descending the South Kaibab in a dangerous situation, requiring them to either hike back up the steeper South Kaibab trail or embark on a lengthy traverse to reach the Bright Angel trail.
—Outside, 10 Mar. 2026
Formula 1 returns to Australia this weekend, descending on the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne once again.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Designers, editors, and models are descending on Italy’s fashion capital for Milan Fashion Week—Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid, familiar faces to the city, have just touched down.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 25 Feb. 2026
The Patriots are descending on Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine this week.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
Verb
Footage from the scene shows the paraglider descending toward a slope filled with skiers and snowboarders.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026
On Wednesday, astronomer and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell reported that a large collection of Starlink satellites has been descending, cutting the distance for the satellite beams to reach Earth.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 12 Mar. 2026
The Minnesota girls state basketball tournament has arrived, with 32 of the state’s top teams descending on the Twin Cities to battle it out for state supremacy.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 11 Mar. 2026
Spender said models show a high-pressure ridge descending over the West in the coming days, bringing high heat and low precipitation across the region.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Logan told Outside that the River Trail closure could put hikers descending the South Kaibab in a dangerous situation, requiring them to either hike back up the steeper South Kaibab trail or embark on a lengthy traverse to reach the Bright Angel trail.
—Outside, 10 Mar. 2026
Formula 1 returns to Australia this weekend, descending on the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne once again.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Designers, editors, and models are descending on Italy’s fashion capital for Milan Fashion Week—Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid, familiar faces to the city, have just touched down.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 25 Feb. 2026
The Patriots are descending on Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine this week.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descending
Verb
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Conyears-Ervin, Chicago’s treasurer since 2019, launched her second bid for the seat after falling short of unseating incumbent Davis two years ago.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
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In fact, the temperature at Camp Mabry, Austin’s main weather observation site, tied the record for the largest 24-hour temperature drop, falling 58 degrees from a high of 97 degrees Sunday afternoon to a low of 39 degrees Monday morning.—
Newsroom Meteorologist,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Blackouts now last most of the day in many Cuban cities, tourism is dwindling, and some foreign companies have begun to pull their personnel from the island amid deteriorating conditions.—
Patrick Oppmann,
CNN Money,
17 Mar. 2026
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Loose or deteriorating flashings, which can be caused by harsh winter weather and changing temperatures, are one of the most common sources of roof leaks.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At the waist − and the base of a plunging neckline − is a constellation of orange, pink and deep purple jewels.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
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Oil had suddenly skyrocketed to just shy of $120 a barrel and stock futures were plunging as the war raged in the Middle East.—
Denitsa Tsekova,
Bloomberg,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
-
The woman told investigators Herzing had made similar threats in July, which resulted in the victim suffering minor scrapes after dismounting at a stoplight.—
Lauren Breunig,
Twin Cities,
2 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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James O’Donoghue, a planetary scientist with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, likened our planet’s tilting phenomenon to a nodding head.—
Aylin Woodward,
WSJ,
21 Dec. 2021
Verb
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But by stabilizing and then regrouping constructively, Interdigital has now traced out a bullish inverse head-and-shoulders pattern with an upward-sloping neckline.—
Frank Cappelleri,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
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If your garden lives on a sloping piece of land, some organic mulches can be subject to washing away with storm runoff.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Toki died waiting in a filthy, crumbling tank at one of the oldest marine parks in the world.—
Valerie Greene,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2026
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No player on this Florida roster has watched an SEC Championship before, yet now the Gators get the pleasure of waiting and seeing whether their crumbling still warrants a spot along the top-seed line.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Butterflies zigzagging around the gates, the sound of water tumbling down the mountainside, cutting through the greenery.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
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Opened in 1927 as a high-rise apartment building but converted during the war years into an upscale stay, the Pontchartrain had suffered over decades of rising damp and tumbling fortunes.—
Rick Bragg,
Southern Living,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Descending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descending. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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