1
as in drop
the act or process of going to a lower level or altitude
the airplane began its gradual descent to the landing field
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
the family patriarch's heartbreaking descent into infirmity and senility
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3
as in degradation
a change to a lower state or level
the nation's rapid descent into anarchy after the revolution
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4
as in demise
a loss of status
for throwing the game, the ballplayer underwent a huge descent in the eyes of the fans
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5
as in invasion
a sudden attack on and entrance into hostile territory
the lightning descent of the invading army on that unsuspecting border town
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6
as in assault
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence
the descent of the voracious locusts on the wheat fields
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7
as in ancestry
the line of ancestors from whom a person is descended
a person of Finnish descent
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8
as in downhill
a downward slope
on bicycle tours the ascents always seem to outnumber the descents
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of descent
Launched in 2020 after the 400th anniversary of the first African slaves arriving in Jamestown, Virginia, the decade-long initiative encourages people of African descent to visit or repatriate and reconnect with their heritage and culture.
—
Melanie Van Zyl, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2026
District staff don’t expect to run out of spendable cash until September, slowing down the district’s speeding descent toward insolvency, but not by a lot.
—Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Trekking poles help with slippery descents, and gaiters or quick-dry pants can make muddy crossings more comfortable.
—Alexandra Gillespie, Outside, 6 Mar. 2026
What the lawsuit says about Gavalas’ descent The lawsuit says Gavalas started using Gemini in August 2025 for common uses like shopping, writing support, and travel planning.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for descent
Melanie Van Zyl, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2026
District staff don’t expect to run out of spendable cash until September, slowing down the district’s speeding descent toward insolvency, but not by a lot.
—Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Trekking poles help with slippery descents, and gaiters or quick-dry pants can make muddy crossings more comfortable.
—Alexandra Gillespie, Outside, 6 Mar. 2026
What the lawsuit says about Gavalas’ descent The lawsuit says Gavalas started using Gemini in August 2025 for common uses like shopping, writing support, and travel planning.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for descent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descent
Noun
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Napping drops with age to 47% of preschoolers (ages 3 to 5) and 28% of school-age children (6 to 13).—
Lily Hautau,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Mix a few drops of one of the oils, two tablespoons of dishwashing liquid, and two cups of water in a spray bottle.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Summary The recent selloff in SLB appears driven more by macro uncertainty and market positioning than by any deterioration in the company’s fundamentals.—
Tony Zhang,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
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Contributing to the rust and deterioration of the village mains is not just their age but the fact that Sleepy Hollow’s soil is mostly soft and partially peaty, Hof said.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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If Wyatt and Surrey could pen brilliant sonnets under Tudor tyranny, then certainly great art can be produced under capitalism despite its particular degradations.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Major degradation to their ability to produce the ballistic missiles that have been striking so many of their Gulf neighbors, Israel and elsewhere.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Fairway City Administrator Nathan Nogelmeier on Monday said that the potential demise of the project was news to him.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
10 Mar. 2026
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SpaceX conducted five Starship flight tests in 2025, the first three of which ended in disaster when the vehicle met a premature fiery demise before completing many key objectives.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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North Korea has long claimed that the drills are a rehearsal for invasion.—
Soo-hyang Choi,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
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The global Brent crude benchmark shot past $100 a barrel Monday for the first time since 2022, when the Russian invasion of Ukraine sent energy markets into a frenzy, and analysts now warn prices could rise higher still.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The assault took place both and off campus and during and after school hours, according to the news release.—
Jessica Seaman,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
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Jalloh’s lengthy criminal history includes more than 30 arrests for charges of rape, assault, drug possession, property destruction, identity theft, trespassing, firing a weapon, grand larceny, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and pickpocketing.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Mullin has also leaned into his ancestry as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and supported positions important to tribal citizens, such as advocating for tribal sovereignty.—
Sean Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
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Multi-instrumentalist and dancer Saeid Shanbehzadeh, who traces his ancestry to Zanzibar, celebrates that heritage with his band, and specializes in the Iranian bagpipe and percussion.—
Anastasia Tsioulcas,
NPR,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Sana won bronze in the downhill at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Paralympics at age 20 in the VI division.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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The Italian, who returned from a broken left leg just before the Milan Cortina Games and then won gold in super-G and giant slalom, skipped Friday's downhill and seemed to struggle with landing the many jumps in the course.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Descent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descent. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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