1
as in falls
to lead or extend downward
the pathway descends to the river bank
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deteriorates
to become worse or of less value
the order of the classroom descended into chaos when the teacher left the room
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of descends
With the push of a button, the elevator descends hundreds of meters in seconds into the dark depths of Onkalo.
—
James Brooks, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
The height comes from a stance atop 20-inch wheels, and the vehicle’s sloping hood descends low, like a brooding brow.
—John Scott Lewinski, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2026
As the art world descends upon the Windy City for the Expo Chicago fair, Grynsztejn looks back on her history with the institution and ahead to a busy week.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Adapted for television by Adolescence co-creator, Emmy winner Jack Thorne, in Lord of the Flies, innocence descends into savagery when a group of English schoolboys becomes desert island castaways.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 6 Apr. 2026
Holy Week begins with a triumphal procession, descends into betrayal and death, and ends with resurrection.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Ribbon Fall, which descends 1,612 feet and marks Yosemite’s single largest drop, is a slender plunge and could be gone by June, Goehring says.
—Kurtis Alexander, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Apr. 2026
In the spacecraft hangar where Fox McCloud preps his ship, a small rocket descends on the launch pad.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Apr. 2026
The famous foliage descends upon the property, and guests awaken to crisp mornings that are best accompanied by grabbing a fresh cup of coffee and heading out for a pre-breakfast walk.
—Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
James Brooks, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
The height comes from a stance atop 20-inch wheels, and the vehicle’s sloping hood descends low, like a brooding brow.
—John Scott Lewinski, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2026
As the art world descends upon the Windy City for the Expo Chicago fair, Grynsztejn looks back on her history with the institution and ahead to a busy week.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Adapted for television by Adolescence co-creator, Emmy winner Jack Thorne, in Lord of the Flies, innocence descends into savagery when a group of English schoolboys becomes desert island castaways.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 6 Apr. 2026
Holy Week begins with a triumphal procession, descends into betrayal and death, and ends with resurrection.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Ribbon Fall, which descends 1,612 feet and marks Yosemite’s single largest drop, is a slender plunge and could be gone by June, Goehring says.
—Kurtis Alexander, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Apr. 2026
In the spacecraft hangar where Fox McCloud preps his ship, a small rocket descends on the launch pad.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Apr. 2026
The famous foliage descends upon the property, and guests awaken to crisp mornings that are best accompanied by grabbing a fresh cup of coffee and heading out for a pre-breakfast walk.
—Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descends
Verb
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Grapevine surges from behind, falls short Lake Creek provided most of the pressure early in the match, keeping the ball in Grapevine’s end and getting off six shots before the Mustangs started pressing in the 26th minute.—
Charles Baggarly & Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, once an aristocratic mansion, falls somewhere between the avant-garde works at the Reina Sofia and the traditional Spanish art at the Prado.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Despite his professional success, his home life deteriorates, particularly his relationship with his daughter.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Apr. 2026
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And as our credit deteriorates, borrowing gets more expensive, forcing us to borrow more to keep up, which worsens our credit further.—
Bill Conway,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Architectonics takes this murky style and plunges it to a new deep, incorporating the bronze gong and chime sounds of gamelan while burying his rhythms in dense, dubby layers of incense smoke.—
Sam Goldner,
Pitchfork,
13 Apr. 2026
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As the capsule plunges through the atmosphere, a communications blackout is anticipated as plasma builds up around the spacecraft and causes interference.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Like the impish anti-romance that crumbles around it, the movie’s twist is both transgressive enough to be pleased with itself and also rooted in a reality that refuses to be dismissed as a bad joke.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
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Loyalty, betrayal, illness and war all bear down on the group as the old order crumbles around them.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Frothy water tumbles over sandstone and rock, creating challenging rapids with ominous names like Dragon's Tooth and Hell's Gate.—
Joie Probst,
Midwest Living,
10 Apr. 2026
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The video shows the plane colliding with the truck, going over the vehicle, which tumbles beneath the jet.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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When border agents board during a stop (each with wanted posters of Philip and Elizabeth), Paige disembarks.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
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In the climax, the yacht docks in Norway, and everyone disembarks.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Strong cleaners can leave residue that actually worsens allergy symptoms.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Apr. 2026
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The funding is aimed at supporting a three-pronged plan put forward by a South End, Roxbury, and Newmarket community working group in February that focuses on getting addicts off the streets, out of jail, and into recovery to avoid the chaos and crowding that worsens there each summer.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Historically, the closer’s velocity dips early in the season following his 2023 knee injury, typically bouncing back as warm weather arrives and the season progresses.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
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The surf-style company Johnnie-O, for example, dips into the Deep South with its classic, understated Azalea Collection.—
Dave Skretta,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Descends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descends. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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