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
-
For any politician unwilling or unable to persuade the public with facts and strong rebuttals, attacking the messenger becomes the path of least resistance.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Apr. 2026 -
When attacking adult or adolescent males, Sandel said the chimpanzees use collective violence.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Residents said the attackers operated for hours, raiding homes and sending residents to flee to safety in neighboring communities.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
There’s also talk of US forces raiding nuclear sites deep inside Iran to retrieve worrisome nuclear material, amid heightened fears that it could be used by an angry and desperate Iranian regime to manufacture nuclear weapons.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The lawyers had argued that a history of assaulting women didn’t make Combs guilty of the crimes charged.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Philadelphia sports radio personality Mike Missanelli was arrested early Wednesday morning for allegedly assaulting his fiancee, police said.—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Balint shouted before storming out of the hearing.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
-
What it cannot any longer be described as, at least not honestly, is a problem that begins only when Chinese troops start storming ashore.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With the sun setting on Pasty Shack, Mier cherishes the business’s customers the most.—
Emma Hall,
Sacbee.com,
3 Apr. 2026
-
This one plays with puckering on both ends, along with a creamsicle color palette that’s ideal for setting on deck chairs and chaises surrounding the pool.—
Blake Bakkila,
Architectural Digest,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Raffaele tunes an instrument for me with enviable speed, striking a tuning fork on his desk.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
-
On the lower deck lies a striking aquarium of roughly 376 square feet.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
10 Apr. 2026
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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 13 Apr. 2026.
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