as in attacking
to take sudden, violent action against
the shock troops descended on the village without warning
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descending (on or upon)
Verb
-
The president also shared clips of the video on his Truth Social handle, along with posts mocking and attacking Pretti.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026 -
Stay focused on the issue, rather than attacking the other person’s character.—
Molly Burrets,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Masked federal agents are detaining citizens without cause and raiding Americans’ homes without a judge’s warrant.—
Lautaro Grinspan,
AJC.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Democrats want more sweeping reforms to reign in the tactics, such as prohibiting ICE from deploying excessive force and explicitly preventing them from raiding places of worship, hospitals and schools.—
Sam Gringlas,
NPR,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In August, Richardson was arrested for allegedly assaulting her boyfriend, fellow American sprinter Christian Coleman, at the Seattle Tacoma Airport.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Homan said there will be zero tolerance for interfering, impeding or assaulting officers.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
An anti-ICE protest outside a Minneapolis hotel turned violent Sunday night, with some smashing windows and throwing bottles as federal officers fought to keep them from storming inside.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
26 Jan. 2026
-
That’s slightly stronger than the G1 and G2 strength storming conditions the SWPC had previously forecasted.—
Addy Bink,
The Hill,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Cities have until 45 days before the elections to call them off, but county officials would need to know by late February whether or not the items will be on the ballot, meaning the sun is setting on high-stakes negotiations to stave off a mutiny.—
Lilly Kersh,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Let natural greenery rule in tall vases, design a whole table setting on a new color, or concoct a signature drink that matches the theme in color and flavor.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This combo was striking and chic, even as intentionally defiant strands and sunglasses attempted to conceal her gorgeous face.—
Essence,
Essence,
23 Jan. 2026
-
For Marsa Al Arab, Killa took his cues from the world's most luxurious yachts, creating a striking silhouette of sweeping curves and dramatic drop-offs.—
Selina Denman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Jan. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Descending (on or upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descending%20%28on%20or%20upon%29. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
