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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Relevance
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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
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Recent Examples of descent
This can support the aircraft’s weight, allowing a gentle descent with the wings level.
—
Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 8 Nov. 2025
About 3% of its residents are of Arab or Middle Eastern descent, according to 2020 census data.
—Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Mamdani is the first Muslim and person of South Asian descent elected to lead the nation's largest city, which includes a Jewish population of well over 1 million people.
—NPR, 7 Nov. 2025
One such affliction is Tay-Sachs, a disease that disproportionately affects people of Ashkenazi descent and destroys brain and spinal nerve cells.
—New Atlas, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for descent
Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 8 Nov. 2025
About 3% of its residents are of Arab or Middle Eastern descent, according to 2020 census data.
—Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Mamdani is the first Muslim and person of South Asian descent elected to lead the nation's largest city, which includes a Jewish population of well over 1 million people.
—NPR, 7 Nov. 2025
One such affliction is Tay-Sachs, a disease that disproportionately affects people of Ashkenazi descent and destroys brain and spinal nerve cells.
—New Atlas, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for descent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descent
Noun
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As Arizona squeezes more money from its decreasing share of river water, freighting every drop with critical industries and a booming housing market, the price of water is bound to keep climbing.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
To remove rust, sprinkle a bit of Bar Keepers Friend or baking soda over the affected area, add a drop of water to create a paste, and gently scrub with a soft sponge.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Some of it is also related to the age and deterioration of much of the grid, which now requires rebuilding.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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The deterioration in the labor market has been concentrated in payroll employment, which is the [datapoint] that is the most susceptible to demographic and immigration changes.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Labbate is head of the Climate Mitigation Unit and is global team leader of the UN-REDD Programme at UNEP, which is aimed at reducing emissions from deforestation and land degradation.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
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In contrast, Mitsubishi’s PHEVs showed noticeable degradation even at relatively low mileages, though this decline tended to level off later in the vehicle’s life.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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As minister of economy and the public face of unpopular government policies that ended up impoverishing the population further – including a botched monetary reform in 2021 that fueled unprecedented levels of inflation – Gil’s demise was cheered by many inside Cuba.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
3 Nov. 2025
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Hektoria is a relatively small glacier by Antarctic standards, and its partial demise won’t cost the planet much in terms of sea level rise, Scambos said.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In August, The Guardian said the Israeli Defense Forces' Unit 8200 had built a system in Microsoft's Azure cloud for tracking Palestinians' phone calls as part of the country's invasion of Gaza, leading Microsoft to investigate the newspaper's assertions.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
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Iran, Baghdad’s arch enemy during Hussein’s rule, now enjoys significant influence in Iraq – another direct result of the US invasion.—
Ben Wedeman,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In addition to the murder charge, Thompson faces charges of committing a terroristic act, aggravated assault, engaging in violent criminal group activity and endangering the welfare of a minor, according to the jail roster.—
Rafael Escalera Montoto,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
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He is being held on a $2 million bond for a murder charge and must pay $200,000, as well as a $5,000 bond for an assault charge, to be released.—
Matthew Cupelli,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Originally, back in 1948, Framingham was a town largely made up of people from European ancestry.—
Veronique Greenwood,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
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In 1854, California barred people of Asian ancestry from testifying against white people and, in 1880, from marrying white people.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Beyond just kayaking, this could be game-changing for activities like downhill mountain biking and point-to-point hiking.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
30 Oct. 2025
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In this melancholy-comic subversion of a rags-to-riches story Karl’s empathetic musings about those less fortunate immigrants foreshadow his subsequent downhill trajectory.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Descent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descent. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.
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