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
-
At least four young men are seen attacking the boy at various points.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025 -
When combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors – the breakthrough immunotherapy that prevents the immune system from attacking healthy cells – the T cells' tumor-fighting capacity was further enhanced.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Simpson goes away to college, in Chicago, though not without her mother raiding her personal loan.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Almost half of America's youngest workers are raiding their retirement accounts just to get by, a new report has found.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Federal prosecutors have charged Omari Juan Beidleman with assaulting two members of the Mississippi National Guard during a patrol at the Capitol South Metro station.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Insist that the federal government deploy those resources to get the violent offenders who are killing, assaulting and robbing law-abiding citizens on the city’s South and West sides.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Tony and Zive take off, eluding Henry and the Interpol agents storming the hospital.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
4 Sep. 2025
-
In Bandung, protesters lit tires on fire, while in Ternate, police used teargas to stop crowds storming parliament buildings.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Despite this goodbye, the sun is far from setting on the undeniable uniqueness and spirit that is Cyndi Lauper.—
Jessi Roti,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Also in the Big Apple, Sarah Jessica Parker has a mini-reunion with former costar Cynthia Nixon, while Selena Gomez is striking in red.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
-
An oversized heron print by Gucci on a retro pink backdrop forms a striking focal point, offset by the clean geometry of the Manhattan skyline.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
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 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share