DESCENDS Synonyms: 143 Similar and Opposite Words

descends

verb

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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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 What begins as an awkward diplomatic retreat descends into humiliation, manipulation, and psychological power games. — Annika Pham, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026 Color begins near 10,000 feet in September, and then descends roughly 500 to 1,000 feet per week. — Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 6 Sep. 2026 Like the real-life star of such films as Black Swan, M is a former child actor whose film roles include a ballerina who descends into madness. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026 Mayday goes on too long and veers into nonsensical directions, with one episode depicting the pair breaking into a Soviet official’s home that descends into bedroom farce. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026 It’s designed to be a celebratory moment before mayhem descends. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 Prince, 29, descends a set of stairs and warmly greets his famous father’s enduring admirers in video shot by @JPASC24. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Aug. 2026 The opening holes may not immediately reveal what awaits, but that changes quickly as the course turns back on itself and descends into a stunning, secluded valley that eventually opens toward the coastline. — Jeff Goudy, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 As the plane descends, a lush landscape of verdant mountains that flow down into charming villages, beaches, and the crystal-clear waters beyond appears. — Connor Sturges, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for descends

Verb

Because every moment is narrated in Ugandan Sign Language and International Sign, Deaf travelers are more deeply immersed in the experience, and a welcome hush falls over the environment—which is, surprise, appreciated by the wildlife too.

— CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
However, the salt can solidify if its temperature falls too close to its freezing point.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of falls

Verb

Keep the effort easy enough that your movement quality improves rather than deteriorates.

— Dana Santas, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
Cuba has experienced frequent and prolonged blackouts as its aging power infrastructure deteriorates and the country struggles with severe fuel shortages.

— Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of deteriorates

Verb

The film plunges James deep into the wilds with his retired military dog Odin after their small plan crash lands during a camping trip.

— Emily Zemler, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Sep. 2026
If that happens, an energy crisis that plunges the world into recession is not far off.

— RICHARD HAASS, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of plunges

Verb

The Packers’ identity is that of a team that can’t shut the door, one that crumbles when momentum turns in a hostile away environment.

— Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
All of the big talk about personal drive, which makes Free Solo so darkly compelling, immediately crumbles into selfish pablum the second that children are introduced into the equation.

— Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of crumbles

Verb

From trashing bedrooms and throwing couches, the pair tumbles down stairs and has a chase across the lawn before ending up in the pool.

— Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
Front load washers are built with a horizontal drum that tumbles the clothes in each cycle.

— Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of tumbles

Verb

Hoping to make his way back to his brother, Håkan disembarks in California and immediately heads East, against the flow of all the homesteaders and forty-niners streaming West.

— Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Former President Bill Clinton disembarks a jet at Islamabad International Airport in March 2000.

— Tiago Ventura, Time, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of disembarks

Verb

The musician, 60, sat down with Tamron Hall for a candid conversation about living with Parkinson’s disease, which affects the nervous system, can affect movement and often worsens over time.

— Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026
While the Science study found workers in remote-friendly jobs had higher levels of mental distress, other experts cautioned against the idea that remote work alone worsens mental health.

— Cordilia James, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026