DESCENDS Synonyms: 143 Similar and Opposite Words

descends

verb

Definition of descends next

present tense third-person singular of descend

as in falls

to lead or extend downward the pathway descends to the river bank

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Relevance

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as in deteriorates

to become worse or of less value the order of the classroom descended into chaos when the teacher left the room

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as in plunges

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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as in dismounts

to come down from something (as a vehicle) the driver descended from the truck's cab, dreading to see what he had hit

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of descends As an Earth-orbiting spacecraft descends, temperatures of up to 3,500°F bloom across the heat shield at the bottom of the capsule. —

Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 Jan. 2026 Pittsburgh will have the 21st pick when a draft that appears to be thin in quality options at quarterback descends on the Steel City in late April. —

Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 24 Jan. 2026 Chicago is all bundled up in its warmest winter wear as a polar vortex descends on the Great Lakes region, bringing subzero temps and biting winds. —

Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026 In all six scenarios the team examined, surface material within the top 300 meters descends toward the base of the shell, the new study reports. —

Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 23 Jan. 2026 San Francisco Travel Association When winter descends, San Francisco transforms into a luminous dreamscape during the Illuminate SF Festival of Light. —

Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026 So Close To What falls 5-8 (nearly 40,000, down 2%), Wallen’s One Thing at a Time is down 8-9 (36,000, down less than 1%) and Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend descends 7-10 (33,000, down 12%). —

Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 18 Jan. 2026 But when their trainwreck friend, Mel, turns up, the relaxation quickly descends into chaos with hilarious consequences. —

Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 14 Jan. 2026 The other occurs when Marty descends a staircase in the opulent apartment that Kay shares with her rich husband, Milton (Kevin O’Leary). —

Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for descends

Verb

Only a few are still running Commissioner Natalie Orbis, who also sponsored the measure, said the buses were sold to the public as both an environmental win and a cost-saving investment — but that promise falls apart if the buses break down far more often than their diesel counterparts.

— Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Rachel Perry, PhD, has spent most of her scientific life thinking about how the body moves energy around—how glucose rises and falls, how tissues compete for fuel, and how metabolism shifts during illness.

— Avi Patel, Hartford Courant, 30 Jan. 2026