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descending (on or upon)

verb

present participle of descend (on or upon)
as in attacking
to take sudden, violent action against the shock troops descended on the village without warning

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for descending (on or upon)
  1. attacking
  2. raiding
  3. assaulting
  4. storming
  5. setting on
  6. striking
Verb
  • But the crowd turned violent, attacking Black bystanders and out-of-state reporters, and the students were whisked away in police cars after only three and a half hours of class.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Prosecutors assembled thousands of pages of text messages and emails, obtained bank and flight records, gathered corroborating witnesses, and collected video footage of freak-offs and the damning tape of Combs attacking Ventura.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of attacking
Verb
  • Turkish authorities launched an unprecedented crackdown on the country’s LGBT community on Sunday, raiding gay bars and shutting down activist organizations, in what the government said are efforts to protect Turkey’s family values.
    — Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2026
  • On Sunday, Turkish authorities cracked down on multiple LGBTQ+ groups and individuals, detaining dozens of members, breaking into association offices and raiding popular hangouts.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of raiding
Verb
  • During the verbal fight, Bickham spat on Parchman and another person, which prompted the group to start physically assaulting him, Salas said.
    — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Calhoun was serving a four-year sentence for a 2019 conviction on charges including assaulting a police officer, attempting to strangle a police dog, and burglary.
    — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of assaulting
Verb
  • That followed up the first half of the season opener that saw the Broncos fall behind 17-3 and trail Memphis 20-17 at the break before storming to a 38-20 victory.
    — Jim Keyser, Idaho Statesman, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Paul clashes with Neeley, Matthews, and Draper before storming out of the party, only to return and continue arguing with the group.
    — Krystie Lee Yandoli, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of storming
Verb
  • Meanwhile, forward Brad Marchand (lower-body surgery) practiced in a group setting on Wednesday for the first time this training camp.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Ring will roll out the new encryption as the default security setting on all of its cameras starting in September.
    — Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of setting on
Verb
  • Andrew returns home soon after, and the series shows Lizzie striking him in the head with the hatchet before delivering more than 20 additional blows.
    — Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Underpronators, on the other hand, will do best with shoes that encourage midfoot or forefoot striking and mitigate heavy heel or lateral slams on the pavement.
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of striking
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.

Browse Nearby Words

descending
descending (on or upon)
descend (on or upon)
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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 24 Sep. 2026.

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