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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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 attack
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of descent
Balmain, the legacy fashion label led by Olivier Rousteing, who was raised in France and is of East African descent, has explored his cultural backgrounds in recent seasons.
—
Julian Randall, Essence, 6 Mar. 2025
The crew will transfer to the waiting Starship for the descent to the lunar surface.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2025
The hourlong descent appeared to go well until the final approach when the laser navigation system began acting up.
—Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2025
The girl’s father confronted Thompson, who then locked himself in the lavatory with his iPhone for three to five minutes before the flight’s descent, according to the criminal complaint.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for descent
Julian Randall, Essence, 6 Mar. 2025
The crew will transfer to the waiting Starship for the descent to the lunar surface.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2025
The hourlong descent appeared to go well until the final approach when the laser navigation system began acting up.
—Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2025
The girl’s father confronted Thompson, who then locked himself in the lavatory with his iPhone for three to five minutes before the flight’s descent, according to the criminal complaint.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for descent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descent
Noun
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The drop had less to do with Kinder’s Q4 report (which was a lot more good than bad) and more to do with the fact that KMI shares had roughly doubled for the year heading into it.—
Brett Owens,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
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The collaboration features multiple chapters, with the superstar unveiling more items with each drop.—
Caché McClay,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Roads and bridges are designed with strict weight limits for a reason: excessive loads accelerate structural deterioration, leading to costly repairs and safety hazards.—
Ydanis Rodriguez,
New York Daily News,
9 Mar. 2025
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In addition to this, using excessive water or harsh chemical cleaners can then lead to moisture accumulation around window seals, which can potentially cause mould growth or deterioration of the frame around the windows.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Service degradation caused in some attacks has lasted multiple days, with some remaining ongoing as of the time this post went live.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
6 Mar. 2025
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Bristol Myers Squibb is leveraging AI and machine learning to advance protein degradation science.—
Tina Chakrabarty,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Both brothers are quickly brought up to speed, though, when they’re made co-CEOs of the underground operation to fill the power vacuum left by Baba’s demise.—
Angie Han,
The Hollywood Reporter,
5 Mar. 2025
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Given the important roles and responsibilities of nonprofit boards, the pressures that are exerted on them, and the failure of some boards to meet those challenges, some community leaders have advocated for their demise in favor of a different approach.—
Timothy J. McClimon,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
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If the figure is confirmed, the aerial attacks would represent one of the largest on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine, and a clear attempt to show strength on the part of Kyiv.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN,
11 Mar. 2025
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The brigade supported Ukraine’s August invasion of Russia’s Kursk Oblast and, under attack by an elite Russian drone group, may have evacuated the oblast in recent days alongside other Ukrainian brigades.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The attack starts with hackers uploading what looks like a harmless extension to the Chrome Web Store.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
13 Mar. 2025
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Analysts said the attack and its focus on civilians could backfire.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
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These individuals appear to have merged with larger populations that were unrelated to the Xiongnu, many of them with European ancestry, forming a group with genetically diverse backgrounds, according to the study.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
3 Mar. 2025
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Certain genetic variants, or mutations, are often linked to ancestry, and some have been connected to poor health outcomes.—
Leah Small,
Scientific American,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
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That’s how Breezy Johnson described having recently won the women’s downhill event and the women’s team combined at the FIS Alpine World Skiing Championships in Saalbach, Austria.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
WWD,
14 Feb. 2025
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Sandra Whyte scores on an empty-netter with eight seconds left to give the United States a 3-1 victory over Canada. 2010 — Americans Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso finish 1-2 in the downhill at the Vancouver Olympics.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Descent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descent. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
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